A Crow, a Rat, and a Sparrow: Freedom's Shadow
by ShebaVentis
Summary: Book 1 of the series, "A Crow, a Rat, and a Sparrow", by Ventisquear and ShebasDawn, Freedom's Shadow follows three outcasts in a post-Blight Ferelden who band together in a quest to find freedom. In the struggle to survive, they leave everything behind, hoping for a fresh start. But can they escape their own selves?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Thanks to our wonderful betas, Oleander's One and Bloodsong 13T, for so carefully and thoroughly reading through the chapter. And for being awesome.

PTSD trigger warning - to avoid spoilers, we've put the reason(s) for the warning at the bottom of the chapter. If you want to know what the warning is for, please scroll to the bottom first.

* * *

The ship's hull screamed in protest as waves crashed over it again and again. The wind howled as it ripped the storm sails apart in its fury. It had been hours, and the storm seemed to just be worsening to Korlys as he huddled miserably in the tiny, dark cabin with the few other passengers on board. They held on to each other without shame as _Katerina's Dream _rolled over on her side once more. Every time it happened, the Antivan was sure the ship wouldn't right herself. So far, though, the vessel had been able to pop back up like a cork each time.

Suddenly, it all just... _stopped_. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of that damned Orlesian woman, weeping hysterically. Korlys got up and felt his way to the door, with Angelo close behind him. They made their way up to the deck, and the sudden brightness almost blinded him. The dark-haired elf looked up in bewilderment and saw a large circular patch of bright blue sky overhead. Beyond the blue patch, the sky was covered in nightmarish-green storm clouds that appeared to reach down to the water in all directions. _What the fuck? That can't be right. I must be seeing things._ He had taken a few good blows to the head as the storm had tossed them around like rag-dolls; maybe that was the problem.

At that point, the captain emerged from the bridge. "Get back belowdecks, fools. The storm's not over!" he bellowed.

Those passengers who had followed them returned to the tiny cabin, but left the door opened to get some fresh air while they had the opportunity. Korlys waited with his fellow Crow at the top of the stairs, ready to close the hatch when the storm returned. The air was unnaturally still and heavy, warmer now than it had been before the storm, and eerily quiet. It made the lapping of the waves against the hull sound loud in comparison; the sense of tension grated on Korlys' already frayed nerves.

The wind roared back with shocking suddenness, this time from the _opposite _direction. Angelo and Korlys just barely managed to bar the hatch before a massive wave slammed the ship. They stumbled their way back down the stairwell and into the cabin, shutting the door behind them.

The ship's groans grew worse, and there was a sudden crack, loud even over the howling wind. Korlys didn't know what it could be, but it surely wasn't good.

Surprisingly, the vessel managed to hold together for most of the storm. The wind and waves had been dying down for a while when _Katerina's Dream_ finally gave up and started breaking apart. Passengers yelled and struggled to get out as the ship listed badly and chilly water started flooding the cabin, but Korlys managed to fight his way through them and out on to the deck.

_So that's what that loud cracking sound was - the main mast snapped_. A tangle of rigging was the only thing still holding it to the ship. Korlys found a spot away from the snarl of lines and dove in. He was a strong swimmer, but as the waves buffeted him, he soon lost his bearings. Droplets of rain hitting the surface of the water kicked up a misty haze that made it difficult to see, and the waves breaking over him relentlessly had him fighting to keep his head above water.

An endless amount of time passed; exhaustion was dragging his body down, and the cold water was making him sluggish. He could swear he heard his name being called. _Get it together, Korlys. You're losing it_. Sudden pain bloomed in the back of his head, and the world went black.

When he awoke, he was floating, the upper half of his body lying on a piece of debris. He tried to raise his head and was almost blinded by pain.

"You okay?"

Korlys turned his head. Angelo had managed to get most of his body out of the water, but looked like a half-drowned rat. "What happened?"

"The ship sank. Everyone drowned but us, I think. I snagged this when the ship went down; I was hanging on when a wave pushed me into you."

"And you managed to grab me?"

Angelo snorted. "You got lucky. I was right beside you when you got hit."

"_Grazie_, Angelo. How long was I out?"

"Not long. The storm blew itself out pretty quickly after that. If the ship hadn't held through most of the storm, we never would have made it."

Korlys laid his head down on the rough planking again and closed his eyes for a moment. His head was pounding, and the salt water stung his eyes and lungs, but the Crow's relief was overwhelming. To have come all this way, to have freedom within reach, only to die in an unexpected storm after all he'd been through... although... now that it had happened, it might work out even better than his original plan. _This is your chance_, a voice in his head whispered, as hope bloomed inside of him. _Maybe they won't search as diligently, or as long, if they think we died with the rest of them_.

The storm was over, but the current still seemed to be moving swiftly, at least as far as Korlys could tell when he picked his head up again. The sun had come back out, and he squinted against the sparks of light that played on the surface of the water. A vague line appeared that looked closer than the horizon. _Is that the coastline?_

"Do you see that, Angelo, or am I hallucinating?"

Angelo followed Korlys' gaze. "I'll be damned. That looks like land to me." He turned back to Korlys with a grin. "It looks like we will make it, my friend."

_One of us will, anyway_. Angelo wouldn't run away with him, and he damn well wouldn't keep quiet. Korlys had always planned to eliminate him, but now he had a chance to make it appear accidental, if he could just make Angelo's death look like a drowning….

The elf waited patiently, resting up and watching the shoreline approach. He had to time the attack carefully. Too far out, and he would become too exhausted to make it to the shore. Too close, and he risked someone seeing him.

But as land approached, he discovered it was a wooded area. _I couldn't have set this up better if I had planned it. _

They abandoned their makeshift raft when they felt sandy ground beneath their feet. Hoping to keep the element of surprise, he let Angelo get slightly ahead of him. His companion was short for a human, but still almost a head taller than himself. When the water was below the elf's knees, he launched himself from the balls of his feet, reaching up and wrapping his arms around Angelo's neck tightly while he wrapped his legs around the other man's waist. Korlys squeezed with all his strength as Angelo flailed. But the man was already exhausted, and the weight of the elf on his back was quickly draining what energy he had left. Angelo clawed at his arms, trying to find some small space between Korlys and his throat; as desperate as his compatriot was, though, he couldn't pry the assassin's arms from his neck.

Once his struggles weakened, Korlys held the man's face under water and finished it. He dragged the body to the shore, stripped it of valuables, and pushed the corpse back out into the ocean.

Trees grew almost to the edge of the bank, and the shore curved in slightly here, making a small cove; it looked like he'd be able to rest awhile without worrying about being discovered. The assassin sat down, trying to catch his breath. The struggle with Angelo had depleted his remaining strength. Korlys pulled his boots off and turned them upside down, letting the water drain out as he considered his new circumstances.

Fortunately, _Katerina's Dream_ had foundered off the coast, and no one had spotted him washing ashore. It was possible everyone would assume the ship had sunk with all hands aboard, although if his body wasn't found, his master would still send hunters after him. And that fucked up all his carefully made plans. Korlys had meant to leave Denerim at the earliest opportunity, but their bags had gone down with the ship, along with most of the money and supplies they had brought with them.

_It will take Master Nico at least six weeks to find out about the shipwreck, and another six for the hunters to arrive_. That should be enough time to earn some coin and get resupplied, then make himself scarce. For now, though, he needed to rest and dry out.

Thanking the Maker it wasn't winter, the elf unbuckled his armour and slipped it off, then peeled his soaking clothes from his body, leaving only his smalls on. He squeezed as much water as possible from his hair before sitting down, then pulled his knees into his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs, trying to conserve as much body heat as possible._ I'd kill for some dry clothes, or a tinderbox to make a fire_. Goose pimples covered his dark skin, and he shivered as he watched the light fade from the sky. Korlys laid down on his side, still curled into a ball, as exhaustion overwhelmed him. Sleep pulled the assassin down into darkness the moment his head touched the ground.

oOo

Korlys left the general goods store, his backpack full. He'd been in Denerim for a few weeks, and was slowly earning enough coin to replace the supplies he had lost during the shipwreck. A blonde elven woman caught his eye as he walked down the street. Her distinctive heart-shaped face, and the way she moved when she walked, seemed so familiar.

_Where have I seen her before?_ His brain tried imagining her in a dozen different places, past and present. Suddenly, his stomach tightened in fear as he remembered. Sal, a member of his team, had a brief fling with her. She was a Crow, but from a different cell. _Angelique? No, that's not quite right... brasca_. Well, whatever the fuck her name was, he needed to give her the slip. Now.

The street they were on wasn't crowded enough, so he made his way to Denerim's central market and weaved through the townspeople browsing the merchant's goods. He slipped past a dwarf peddling his wares - armour, from the sound of it. The annoyingly _loud _sound of it. Taking a sharp right, the assassin ducked into a small alleyway, wrapping himself in shadows as he sneaked to the end. There were narrow walkways between some of the buildings - too narrow to even be called alleys. Korlys found one of those and passed noiselessly between the buildings and out onto another side street. Confident that he'd lost her, the elf made his way back to the place where he was staying and packed quickly. Time to find a new inn; he couldn't risk staying in this one any longer.

oOo

From the moment he opened his eyes that day, Mario's mind was filled with a single thought: after tonight, he'd be the best. The one who got into the Arl's estate. He'd spent days in preparation, spying on the guards until he knew their schedule and routes; he knew all the servants by name, and he'd fed the meat pies he stole that week to the three mabaris that guarded the house. He even bought a small healing potion, now carefully wrapped in cloth and stored in the pocket of his pants. Not that he planned to get anywhere near the Arl's fucking beasts or get injured in any way, but better to be ready.

He spent the whole day going over the plan again and again, or daydreaming what he'd do with the money tomorrow. For this job, the client said they only needed some papers from the Arl's study, and everything else he'd take would be his. Even minus the share for the boss, he expected to get at least a whole sovereign, maybe even two. He could buy a good solid pair of boots, maybe even trousers, and still put a few coins away.

When Jasper called for him, he suspected nothing; he thought the boss wanted to check that everything was ready for the night. And then the fucker told him that the plans had changed. The Arl's estate would be done by Tony, because Mario got another job. A very important job, that couldn't be given to anyone else, because the client asked for Mario by name, only for him and no one else. No matter how he protested and yelled, Jasper didn't change his mind; he even went so far as to say that if Mario didn't obey, he'd be out of the guild and on his own.

So he obeyed, even though he knew something was wrong. Even if he _was_ famous enough to be asked for by name, a client would normally come to the hideout, to not attract attention to themselves. But he didn't say anything; the boss was already pissed off. They hurried through the alienage and human slums, until they reached Little Compton Street at the border of the Market District. Although, the street wouldn't have looked out of place in an alienage, by how dirty it was, and the house didn't look much better. Jasper knocked three times, and when the door opened, ushered Mario inside, following closely behind.

The room they entered was dimly lit, the only source of light a few candles on a crate; there wasn't much other furniture, from what Mario could see. Three men were standing near the entrance, chatting between themselves; when they noticed Jasper and him enter, they stopped.

"You're fifteen minutes late," one of them said, and moved closer.

Jasper shrugged. "Took some time to convince him. But what's fifteen minutes? You still have the whole night… if you have the money, of course."

"And we'll use every minute of it," the man said. "Here. Fifty silver, as we agreed. For one knife-ear, that's robbery."

Mario's eyes widened in shock. He knew this fucker! The Templar with a kink for elven boys had been stalking him for months now, wouldn't take no for an answer. But, Jasper would never do something like that - he always said Mario was like his own-

"You want a thief, you get robbed." Jasper cackled as if he'd said something funny. But if they thought he'd just let them, they were fucked in their heads.

Mario bolted towards the door, but the traitorous bastard expected it and grabbed his arm. He pushed Mario back, right into the Templars' arms. He tried to fight back, to wriggle out of their grasp, but he never had a chance.

And Jasper just stood there, his face unreadable, and watched them beat him and strip down his clothes.

"Well, I'm needed elsewhere," he said after a moment. "Have fun." He turned away and left, deaf to Mario's pleas and threats.

oOo

There were moments when he thought he wouldn't survive the night. There were moments he didn't _want_ to survive. But when they'd kicked him out on the street, throwing his things after him, Mario already knew who was going to die.

His fingers were shaking as he got dressed and took the healing potion; his body was still one big bruise, but it was easier to move. Not stopping to think about this – lest he change his mind – he wrapped himself in shadows and crawled to Jasper's hideout. It took him forever, but he was in no hurry – he knew the boss probably wouldn't go to sleep before sunrise, and wouldn't be up before lunchtime. The hideout was guarded, of course, but compared to the Arl's estate, it was child's play. Two guards at the front door, and a few wired traps on the roof. For the boss of the second biggest guild in Denerim, the level of security was pathetic.

Mario opened the window and slipped into the room. Jasper was snoring in his bed, as expected. The room reeked of cheap brandy, smelly perfume and stale sweat. Annie, Jasper's current girl, was sprawled on the bed, passed out stone-cold. He shot a disgusted look at her plump body and piggish face and clenched his teeth in rage. _This _was how Jasper was spending time, after he left him with those beasts? Ignoring the whore, he climbed on Jasper's side of the bed and grabbed a pillow, ready to finish it, but then changed his mind. It was risky, but he wanted the man to know who had killed him, and why.

He sat on the man's chest and leaned to whisper in his ear. "Hey, boss. Wake up, boss."

The man stirred, and his eyes opened. Confused, he stared into Mario's eyes.

"I came to thank you for tonight," Mario whispered.

A flash of recognition and panic appeared in Jasper's eyes. He bucked up, desperately trying to free himself. Normally he would succeed, but as drunk as he was now, he had no chance. Mario pressed the pillow hard on to the man's face, leaning on it with all his might.

It didn't take long until Jasper stopped thrashing under him, but he kept clutching the pillow and pressing it into the man's face. Finally, he shook himself, forcing himself to let it go. After checking that Annie was still passed out, he sneaked back to the window and climbed back onto the roof. Exhausted beyond bearing, he crawled to the other end to take a little break, but he barely sat down when he heard a voice from the neighbouring roof.

"Who's there?"

He froze, too scared to think or react. A moment later, a small figure appeared next to him. Ricky, one of Jasper's new findings. Ricky was an eleven-year-old carrot top with a lot of freckles, quick fingers, and an almost endless admiration for Mario.

"Oh, it's you. What are you doing here? What happened to your face?"

"Nothing, never mind that. I just came to visit the boss."

"Silly. He just went to sleep an hour ago. He'll be out cold for hours."

"Yeah, I know." _For more than a few hours, this time._ "There's something I needed to tell him… but now I changed my mind. It can wait till he gets up."

The kid smiled, satisfied with that answer. "Yeah, he's a real dick if waked up early. You wanna go get breakfast?"

"No, but thanks." Forcing himself to smile, he ruffled Ricky's hair and got up. "I still have some work to do. See you later, okay?"

The thief walked away, knowing he would regret this. Soon, someone would find Jasper, staring with his bulging dead eyes at the ceiling; then Ricky would mention Mario had been there, and the rest would be easy. But what could he do? Kill Ricky? It wouldn't be difficult to make it look like he slipped from the roof. But when he imagined Ricky's crumpled body on the ground... No, he could never do that. He'd be worse than Jasper, if he did. The only solution was to run away.

And so here he was, wondering what he should do next. No matter how he looked at it, he was in deep shit. He could leave town, yeah. But then what? He wouldn't be able to get into a guild in another town – they would be warned, of course. And even if he managed somehow to fool them and remain unrecognised, he'd have to start from the beginning; it would take months, _years_, until he had made a name again. And there was no saying all this shit couldn't happen again...

He was so absorbed in these grim thoughts that he didn't hear the men arriving; only the clanging of weapons finally roused him. He crawled to the edge of the roof and peeked down.

oOo

Early the next morning, before the sun had a chance to do more than peek over the horizon, Korlys packed up and left; it was just too dangerous to stay in the city any longer. He'd have to make do with the supplies he had. But, less than a block away, Korlys spotted the other Crow again - along with two men. The arrogant way they carried themselves told him these two weren't local goons.

_It didn't take her long to find me, did it? _A chill ran through him at the thought. _She must have found out I've been looking for work. _If so, she'd assume he was a runaway. Crows didn't freelance. Their Master would pay a lot of coin to have him back - especially if they captured him alive.

No matter how many turns he took, he couldn't shake them. The sky was just lightening in the East as he slipped through the shadows. Korlys needed to put more distance between them, or he wouldn't have a chance. They were getting close to the docks, and there were too few people up and about at this hour.

Taking a sharp right, he started running down a deserted side street, no longer worried about stealth. He wouldn't make it to the end before they turned the corner, however. Luckily, he had picked a road with back alleys between each of the buildings, and he took another sharp right down a random alley, pressing himself against the first darkened doorway he came to. Korlys fought to keep his breathing quiet, his daggers in his hand in an instant.

He could hear the sounds of running feet over the pounding of his heart. The moment the three had passed, he slipped out of the alley, catching up to the trailing assassin and slashing his throat open before the others had a chance to react.

"_Korlys_," the elven woman said in Antivan as she faced off with him, "_come with us quietly and we won't kill you."_ The attempt to sound confident was wasted; he could sense her fear, as surely as any predator would. It was unlikely that anyone but another Crow could have detected it, though. Korlys knew his reputation among other Crows, and she was smart to be afraid. Too bad she hadn't considered the danger earlier, when she still had a chance to walk away.

"_You should have left it alone, bella_," he said, a dangerous edge to his tone. He watched them both as the dark-haired man tried to flank to his left, while the woman moved to his right. Korlys could tell she was the more dangerous of the two by her stance and the way she advanced without a single wasted movement.

The male assassin darted in suddenly from Korlys' left. He heard the woman curse as she was forced to attack from the right before she was ready. Korlys swung both his blades in a wide arc. He slashed the man's right arm; the woman darted away, hitting his side as she moved, but her blade failed to find a gap in his leather armour.

He grinned as he heard the man start cursing. The poison Korlys always kept his blades coated with was going to finish him off, but until he was down, the human was still a threat.

oOo

Mario watched the fight with bated breath. He had no idea what was going on, why those three were after the elf, but he couldn't help admiring him. Maker's cock, that guy was _good_. Three on one, and he didn't even break a sweat.

_I wish I could fight like that_. Then he could get those Templar fuckers. He pressed his lips together. Their time would come, he promised himself. No matter how long it took – he would never forget their faces, the sound of their voices, the smell of their sweat. He had to wait four years until he got the old bastard; he would get those three even if he had to wait ten times longer.

But for that, he had to get out of town first. And the sooner the better. He was still sore and stiff, though not as much as before. He could make a few miles today. Okay, time to go. The elf fought like a demon and it was interesting to watch, but he couldn't waste time now. He must – what was that?

More people were creeping up from another alley. There had to be at least ten of them, and from the way they listened to the fight, it was obvious they planned to interfere. When they were almost to the corner, one of them covered himself in shadows and sneaked ahead; only the fast flickering of shadows as he ran through the small patches of sunlight giving away his presence.

Mario frowned. The elf was good, but against this many even he would have a problem, especially as it seemed they wanted to entrap him. _None of my business. What do I know? Maybe he's a traitorous bastard and they're the good guys._ But... the same could be said about him. He had betrayed his guild, and soon every Lizard would be after his head. Yet he didn't feel like a bad guy and didn't regret it at all. Jasper deserved what he got... And this elf was hunted as well.

That decided it. He picked up a little stone and flung it at the man's head. It hit! In truth, he didn't really think it would – he was never good at aiming. When the man glanced up, he pressed his finger to his lips, and pointed behind the corner, then showed him ten fingers.

Before he could react, the woman rushed at him again. Her injured comrade was writhing in agony, but the bitch didn't even look at him. She lunged at the elf and tried to stab him in the chest. Mario's breath hitched; he was sure she got the man, but he danced away, at the same time pulling something from his pocket and throwing it at the woman. It started putting out a lot of smoke. Interesting thing, that; he could find a use for it. For a moment he had no idea what was going on, until the guy appeared next to him on the roof. Wrapped in shadows, nonetheless. Clever guy. Mario did the same, then bolted in the opposite direction from the coming group.

The others were near and it wouldn't take them long to follow. But the roofs were _his_ home. After several turns and jumps across streets and alleys, he dared to slow down. It didn't seem they were being followed. They were now on the roof of a warehouse in the docks. Normally, he'd climb down here and find his guild to laugh at the stupid guards that tried to catch him… But he wasn't one of them anymore. He led the way further from the scene of fight, occasionally listening to see if someone was after them, but all was quiet.

There was a place, almost near the outer walls of the town, where he used to go when he wanted to be alone. It was a little cove, hidden from view by trees. The city wall here had never been fixed after the Blight. He had arranged the stones that fell off to mask it further and was pretty sure nobody besides him knew about it.

He still checked that no one was near before he stepped out of the shadows, just to be sure. "We should be safe here," he said with a grin.

"_Grazie_," the elf said, his demeanor cautious. He held his daggers down inconspicuously, but he didn't sheath them. "Why did you help me? Not that I'm not grateful, of course."

"You looked like you needed it." He shrugged, trying to look nonchalant about it, though the daggers made him nervous. "Twelve on one is hardly fair. And I'm being hunted myself, so I can sympathize... Look, you can put those things away. I don't even have a weapon on me."

Korlys studied the elf in front of him. He looked to be about eighteen, shorter than Korlys, and skinny, but sleekly muscled. His dark-brown hair was tousled, and if his cocksure, brazen attitude hadn't marked him as a street kid, the grubby, worn look of his clothes would have. It was obvious he'd been hurt recently; he had bruises on his face, and he'd moved a bit stiffly as they ran across the roofs. Korlys sheathed his blades.

"_Grazie_," he repeated. "Thank you, I mean. My name's Korlys."

Mario grinned, more relaxed now that the man - Korlys - put his daggers away. For a moment he was almost worried he had helped some psycho who'd stab him the moment he didn't need him.

"Mario," he introduced himself. He walked to the sea and splashed water over his face and hands. It stung like shit, but at least the wounds wouldn't fester. He wanted nothing more than to strip himself and bathe, but he didn't trust the guy wouldn't do anything funny.

"So who are those guys that want you dead and how clever are they? How much time you think we have before they find us here?"

Korlys rummaged through his pack. "Here, I have some health potions. Take one." He held out a potion to Mario. "As for those guys, they're Crows. They are very clever, and we don't have more than fifteen minutes, maybe twenty, at the most. We need to leave, and leave quickly, if we want to live."

"Twenty minutes at the most? Maker's cock, I thought you'd say at least a few hours…" Mario's voice trembled with panic. _Fuck, I got myself into deep shit this time, didn't I?_ Even if they didn't see his face there, if they were that clever, it wouldn't take them long to meet his guild. How long would it take them to realize they were after the same person? Not long, he suspected.

"Thanks for the potion," he said, thinking about the possibilities. He had wanted to leave from the north side of the city - and stop to at least say goodbye to Cory and aunt Dinah - then go to Amaranthine, board some ship as a deckhand and leave Ferelden for good. But it would be madness to attempt going through the whole town now.

"Well, there's an exit out of town right here," he said, pointing to the crumbling wall. "Thing is, there's only a village - slum, really - full of beggars out there. And a forest full of dirt, bugs and beasts. It would take a few hours to get back to the main road, and by that time it's bound to be watched by your Crows, my Lizards, and probably city guards."

"Lizards?"

"Thieves' guild," Mario explained. "They're not after me yet, but soon every rat in the town will want me dead."

"Oh_._"_ Thieves' guild - not a threat to me, and none of my business. _"Well, we don't have a few hours; they'll find us long before we even get to the main road. And it would be suicide to be seen by anyone, even beggars. The Crows won't leave any village, no matter how small, unsearched. That leaves the forest."

Korlys went down to the water as he talked, taking his blades out and rinsing the blood off of them, then drying them with a piece of cloth before resheathing them. "_Merda_, I don't know a fucking thing about the forest." He turned back to Mario. "But the Crows don't, either. I think that's our best chance to survive."

The kid was obviously scared, and with good reason. And he didn't deserve what would happen to him if the Crows got their hands on him. But, would he slow Korlys down? The assassin quickly thought through his options. Killing the kid would probably be the safest thing to do. But, it just didn't sit well with him. He could at least help Mario get well away from here; he owed him that much. After that, if Mario slowed him down, he could deal with him then. But at least he'd given the thief a chance at survival.

"I'm taking my chances with the forest. Do you want to come with me?"

Mario tilted his head and gave Korlys an appraising look. Dark; an inch or two taller than Mario, but more muscular. Black straight hair reaching to his shoulders. Air of arrogance, most unusual for an elf; no trace of humility in those black eyes. Plus, he could keep pace with Mario on the roof, and there weren't many that could say that… although, he _was_ slower than usual today... And he could fight.

"Why not," he said. "Give me a moment." There was hole in one of the trees; inside, carefully wrapped in a cloth, were all his worldly possessions - a knife he'd stolen from a foreign noble, a tinderbox, sixty-four silver coins, and a small willow whistle. He had wanted to give it to Cory tonight - he had promised they'd celebrate his successful mission, go to the market, have some sugar candy… And now he wouldn't see Cory for Maker knew how long. _Fuck you, Jasper_. He carefully wrapped the whistle and the coins and tucked them in the hole again.

"Okay, let's go. The wall's not safe here, so follow my steps if you don't want to break your neck. And you better hide again - the houses start less than a hundred feet away." Following his own advice, he wrapped himself in shadows and headed towards the crumbling wall.

He couldn't suppress a grin at Mario's look. Didn't he realize Korlys was a Crow? With a tiny shake of his head, Korlys slipped into the shadows and followed the other elf past the wall. It didn't take long before the rickety lean-tos and muddy paths that characterized every slum the Antivan had ever seen came into view. Korlys didn't like the idea of stealing from people this poor - he knew what it was like - but they were about to enter a forest, and he'd only ever hunted people. He doubted Mario had even had that much experience. They had to do whatever it took to survive.

"We need to get some food before we go into the forest," the assassin murmured.

"Leave that to me," the young thief whispered with a confident grin. "Head to the forest. I'll catch up with you in a minute."

The market - if it could be called that - was not far. He didn't like the idea of stealing from these poor fuckers, but they didn't have much choice. Hunting squirrels and rabbits with Crows at their heels didn't seem like a good idea.

A few moments later, he caught up with Korlys, carrying a wicker basket loaded with a few smoked mackerels, two loaves of bread, a wedge of sheep cheese, a few apples, and two bottles of cheap wine. It should last them for two days, three if they ate less. "Let's hurry to the forest," he said anxiously. Their head start was almost gone, and it would only take a moment to figure out which way they went.

Korlys was relieved when the thief appeared. He'd kept track of the time in the back of his mind, and time was very fucking short now. The assassin scanned the horizon; he didn't see anyone following, but that didn't mean they weren't there. Crows were masters at hiding in the shadows. They turned and hurried into the forest, casting nervous glances over their shoulders as they left.

* * *

PTSD trigger - implied rape, violence

_grazie_ - thanks

_bella_ - beautiful

_merda_ - shit


	2. Chapter 2

The forest was thick with tall beeches and oaks competing with firs for sunlight; the trees spread their branches wide in a dense canopy, making it difficult to tell where the sun was. But the lack of sunlight also meant the underbrush was scant, which would make it easier to travel. The woodland floor was still damp from the recent rains, and the air was permeated with rich, earthy smells.

As soon as they were well away from the tree line, Korlys stopped and dropped his pack. He took the food out of the basket and put it into his backpack; they would have to ditch it later, once they were deeper into the forest. It was too awkward to bring with them, but Korlys wouldn't risk leaving it for the Crows to find. "Okay, any idea which direction we should head?"

"We can turn west, then go south along the road; that way, we're bound to come near some villages and cities. Or we can head southeast and hope we can reach Gwaren. But I've no idea how far that is." Mario shrugged. "I know Denerim and the slums around it, but that's all. So it depends on how determined the Crows are. I know the Lizards won't follow me too far. They'll want my head for killing Jasper, that's for sure, but they won't waste good men and time chasing after me through the forest. Not when they can let the other guilds know about me and promise a reward if they get me."

"Crows never give up, Mario. They will hunt me for the rest of my life, now that they know I survived the shipwreck." Korlys knelt down and picked up a nearby stick, then sketched out a rough map of Ferelden. "My contract was in Amaranthine, so I studied a map of Ferelden. For now, our best bet is to find a river and follow it upstream. Rivers always flow to the ocean, so at least we can keep from walking around in circles." He paused thoughtfully. "Gwaren would be good; it is a port city. The Crows might find out if I leave on a ship, but I will have to take that chance. I cannot stay in Ferelden."

"They'll hunt you forever? Maker's cock, what did you do to them? Kill a king? Steal a relic? Why are you so important to them?" Mario frowned. What if Korlys was a dangerous madman after all?

The Antivan's face was grim as he carefully wiped out the map he'd drawn and stood up. "No, I am not important; I am a Crow. And no Crow runs away and lives," he said, his tone matter-of-fact.

Mario shook his head. "I don't get it. There must be more, but it'll have to wait. We really need to get going," he said anxiously. "If these guys are as clever as you say, they can appear at any moment, and I'm no fighter." He turned around, half expecting to see a group of assassins swooping down on them. "So for fuck's sake, let's get moving."

Korlys nodded. "For now, we can head south. We have at least twelve hours before it starts getting dark, assuming it will get dark faster in the forest." With that, they headed deeper into the woods.

oOo

They had been walking for maybe two hours when Mario heard the noise they'd hoped for. He stopped, listening. Yes, there was no doubt. "I hear water. Though I think that's the river Drakon that flows back to Denerim. That way." He pointed. "Say, do the Crows have mabari?" he asked after a moment.

"Mabari? No, I do not think so. Why?" From what Korlys could remember, the Drakon turned to the west after a while. But they could follow it until it _did_ turn. At least they'd be able to keep a straight course now. "We could follow the river upstream, then. Make sure Denerim stays behind us."

Mario snorted. "Never been hunted by a mabari, have you? You wouldn't ask such a stupid question if you were… Mabari are fucking strong, stubborn demons in dog form." He shuddered in disgust. "But they're not that fast, and can't track you through the water. If Crows had them, the river would be a good place to lose them."

Korlys scowled. "I am not stupid," he said, his voice quiet but menacing.

"Never said you were," Mario replied, unconcerned. "Maker's tits. Calm down. Do you always take everything so personally?"

"Yes."

Mario stopped and turned to Korlys. "Now look here. I had the worst night of my life: I killed the guy I thought was my friend, I betrayed my guild, and I had to run away from home. Don't expect me to tiptoe around your ass. If I have to worry you'll be at my throat every time I say something you might not like, then it's better we part ways right here." He turned away and moved on.

"And _I _am being hunted by the best assassins' guild in the world. They are ruthless and merciless, and they will not stop until I am dead. If you think I will just let you walk away from me now, and risk the Crows finding you and torturing you for information, then you have a serious misunderstanding of the situation you find yourself in." Korlys hadn't made a move yet to follow Mario. He rested his hands on the hilts of his daggers and waited for the thief's reply.

Mario stopped again. "You're being hunted by the best assassins in the world, and you're threatening the one person who was willing to help you. And you say you're not stupid?" The noise that escaped him could have been a hysterical sob or a hysterical chuckle. He closed his eyes, sighing deeply; he was too tired to keep fighting. "You know what, I don't give a fuck. Go ahead and kill me," he said over his shoulder. "Look, I'll even make it easier for you." He drew his knife and threw it on the ground.

Korlys raised an eyebrow. "You would rather die than stop calling me stupid?"

Mario spun around. "I _said _you asked a stupid question, _not _that you're stupid. There's a difference, you know. But right now? No, you aren't acting stupid, you are acting like a bloody idiot! And I'd say the same if you were the boss of all the Crows in the fucking world." He crossed his arms. "If you want to kill me for that and continue on your own - well, I'm not armed. Even if I was, I saw you fighting." He shrugged. "I wouldn't stand a chance."

"No, you wouldn't," the Antivan said dryly. He watched Mario for a moment. The boy was obviously close to his breaking point. "Pick up your dagger, Mario. I will not kill you for being a lunatic. But, I _do_ expect your respect. If you do not think you can manage that, then your life expectancy has shortened considerably."

"So I'm your prisoner now, at your mercy, am I? Fucking awesome," he muttered as he picked up his dagger. If Korlys wanted his respect, he should earn it. "I guess that puts you in charge. Lead the way, then," he said. "_Ser_," he added, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

He stared at Mario incredulously. "You really are insane, aren't you?" Korlys moved ahead of the other elf, walking towards the sound of water. "And do not call me _ser_," he said as he passed by.

For someone ready to kill when someone called him stupid, he was sure quick with insults. _That's what I get for not minding my own business, and trying to help_, Mario thought bitterly as he followed Korlys without another word.

oOo

It didn't take them long to reach the river. Korlys sighed and dropped his pack, taking a drink from his waterskin. He thought they were making good time, but it was hard to be sure. Still, he didn't think any Crows had managed to follow them, and he doubted they'd be watching the river. The Antivan had cooled off some, and now regretted the words between them. It didn't do either of them any good, and he'd learned long ago not to let pride interfere with survival.

"_Mi dispiace_, Mario. I should not have acted that way. I suppose I am a little on edge as well."

"Yeah. It's okay," the thief replied, too exhausted for that kind of shit right now - exhausted inside, tired like he had never been, not even when he killed for the first time. He splashed some water on his face and nape, then stuck his arms into the water up to his elbows, letting the river flow around them. It helped a bit. "So what now?" he asked.

Korlys sat down and leaned back against a tree. He pulled his boots off. "We should rest for a bit. I do not think they are following us, and we need to conserve energy if we will be walking all day." He looked over at Mario. "How long has it been since you had something to eat?" Korlys hadn't eaten since the night before, and they'd both feel calmer if they had some food in their stomachs.

"Yesterday at noon," Mario said. "Had to skip dinner." _No - no, don't think about them. Pull yourself together._ He wasn't safe yet; he was in the worst shit of his life. This guy could decide at any moment to finish him off. No, until he found a way to get to safety, he couldn't let his guard down.

Korlys nodded. "I have not eaten since yesterday, either." He rummaged through his pack. "Here." He pulled out a wedge of cheese and some bread, along with one of the bottles of cheap wine. "We need to eat to keep our strength up." He broke the bread and used his knife to cut off a large hunk of cheese for each of them, then held out Mario's portion.

"Thanks," he said, with just a hint of irony in his voice. He nibbled on the cheese and bread, trying to make them last longer. It was a trick all rats knew - convince your brain there's plenty of food, and your stomach will feel fuller, too. For a moment. He carefully avoided looking at Korlys. If he couldn't talk to him like an equal, like he would to anyone else, he wouldn't talk at all. At least he wouldn't offend the oversensitive double ass again, right? _He _does _expect my respect_, _after all_, he thought sarcastically. _I'll teach you to respect me, knife ear! - Fuck, stop thinking about them! _He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, then reached for the wine and took a long swig. Lately, everyone wanted to teach him his place.

Korlys chewed his food slowly and watched the river as it rushed rapidly downstream, getting caught here and there in little whirlpools, and chuckling to itself on its way to Denerim. The Antivan stayed alert for any sounds of pursuit, just in case. He could see Mario out of the corner of his eye; he suppressed a sigh at the kid's closed expression. The assassin supposed he couldn't expect the other elf to simply take his apology at face value. _What the fuck am I doing, anyway? He is just a scared kid, and I am terrorizing him, dragging him along like a prisoner. What does he know? I could just let him go - change my plans. If the Crows _do_ catch him, he will not be able to tell them anything. I have enough of a head start now; I do not need him anymore._

"Mario, you do not have to avoid talking to me." The assassin kept his voice soft. "I apologized, no? If you want to leave, then leave."

Did Korlys really mean that? Or was he just testing him to see what he'd do and kill him if he tried to leave? "I said it's okay, didn't I?" he muttered warily.

"_Sí_, you said it is okay. But the fact that you are acting like a whipped dog tells me it is not so. I do not want you to think you have to stay with me." From the smell clinging to Mario, and the bruises on his face, it was obvious the young thief had been raped, and it sounded like Mario wouldn't be able to go back to Denerim. Korlys had no idea how far the next town would be.

"I will give you another health potion, some of the food, and a few silvers as well. I do not want you staying if you do not want to. It will be hard enough to survive as it is, without having to deal with an unwilling partner."

_Whipped dog_? Mario jerked angrily. "Keep your potion and your money," he spat. "I don't need your mercy, fucker." He scrambled to his feet, breathing heavily. "I was willing to come with you. It's you who have a problem with me, with how I talk, with what I do. Well, if you can't accept me, okay. You don't need to give me anything. I can take care of myself."

Normally, it was true. Any other day, Mario could laugh and leave with his head high. Right now, though, he was crumbling inside and if he tried to walk, he'd shatter into a thousand pieces. He leaned on the tree and closed his eyes again. "Like I need a fucker like you," he muttered again.

"Tch. Mario, you are in no condition to walk away. Will you let your pride get you killed?" Korlys sighed inwardly. It seemed he'd be doing a lot of that if Mario hung around. "I don't recall ever saying I cannot accept you. I only asked that you _not_ call me stupid... or whatever. I do not want to get into that again."

"You're willing to kill a guy who calls you stupid. Yet you called me a lunatic, insane, whipped dog... Must be a great feeling, to be strong enough to just _demand _respect," Mario snapped. "I'm only willing to stay if we're equals."

He glared at Korlys, crossing his arms. "I'll _never _submit again to _anyone _just because they want it. I'd rather die," he said fiercely. "And as I said - if I need to worry about every word and wonder if it will piss you off enough to kill me, then it's better to part ways."

"Maker's hairy fucking balls..." Korlys closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. His head was starting to pound. Maybe he'd made a mistake not just killing the fucker earlier. He took a deep breath. "I said you were _acting_ like a whipped dog-"

"Ah, now you see the difference in meaning," Mario cut in. "Because I said you _asked_ a stupid question, not that you're stupid. And you wanted to kill me for that."

Korlys jumped up, his patience at an end. "I said I was sorry, and that I didn't mean it. I will not say it again. We can either start over, or you can leave. That's it. What will it be?"

Yeah, like he'd believe this lunatic. He'd say he'd go and turn his back on the guy and the next moment he'd have a knife in his back. Mario pressed his lips together. "Okay, fine. Don't jump on me. I'll stay." _For now_. Mario slid down the tree. He should have let the fucker get gutted by his friends. _He _had saved the assassin's ass, showed him the way out, stole the fucking food. And all he got for it was a death threat. Ungrateful son of a bitch.

The assassin sat back down. _Unbelievable_. Any one of his former comrades would have gutted this fool by now. The elf reached for the bottle and took a long swallow, then held it out to Mario. He could tell the kid was frightened, and was already starting to feel guilty about scaring him, but he was just so fucking childish. Korlys wasn't sure how long he'd be able to endure the tantrums, scared kid or no. _It looks like the only way I am going to stop killing people is if I become a hermit._

"Here..." The Antivan rummaged through his pack again, pulling out an apple. "You still look pale. Eat this, it will help." Korlys frowned. "Do you need another potion?"

"No, I'm good. And we should keep the food for later. We don't know when we'll be able to get some more," the thief reminded him. "It's okay. I'm used to being hungry."

"Perhaps you are right. I am hoping we will come across a small settlement or two on our way upriver, though. That is usually where you find people, near rivers and such." Korlys returned the apple to his pack, then leaned his head back against the tree and closed his eyes. The moist breeze felt cool against his skin, and soothed his aching head. They needed to get up again soon, but Mario didn't look like he was in any condition to move at the moment.

Mario just nodded. He wasn't going to argue with the guy again. He closed his eyes, listening to soft rustle of leaves above him. The forest wasn't as dreary as he used to think, he realized with surprise. After a few minutes, he felt much calmer and trusted his feet to carry him again.

"Shouldn't we go?" he asked carefully.

Korlys opened his eyes and looked at Mario. "_Sí_, if you feel you are ready to move." He pulled his boots on and went to the river to splash his face with cold water. After loosing the leather cord from his hair, Korlys ran his wet hands through it, then retied it. It dawned on him that they didn't have any of the supplies they'd need to sleep outside. If they didn't find a small town before then, tonight would be miserable... and worse if it rained.

The assassin refilled his waterskin, then turned back and shouldered his pack. "We should follow the river, but not too closely to the banks. There is less underbrush if we stay back... and less of a chance to be seen by a stray fisherman, as well." This time, Korlys didn't bother to glance at the thief as he started leading the way; Mario's sulky expressions were already getting old.

oOo

They walked for hours, with only one break for lunch, short and tense; they were both relieved to go on. But now it was getting dark - too early and too fast. The air was colder as well. It was hard to see the sky through the trees, but Mario was sure that if he could see it, it would be covered by thick storm clouds.

"I think it's gonna rain," he said. "We better find some shelter. Or make one."

"I agree." Korlys had no idea how to do either, really. "We better start looking around now, then. I do not think we have much time."

It didn't take long for the Antivan to realize he needed help. "What are we looking for, exactly?"

"A hollow tree, maybe? But, that's a small chance, and it would take a lot of time to check every tree... Do you have a rope? We could cut some branches and make a shelter. Much faster, if you ask me."

"No, I do not have any." He thought for a moment. "Could we use a sturdy branch, maybe? If we could find a good-sized log, we could lean it against a tree and prop up branches on both sides. It would be very fucking small, but it would be something, at least."

"That could work," Mario agreed, mentally adding rope to the list of things he needed to steal somewhere. "Okay, let's do that." He looked around. There weren't any handy logs, but there was a young tree they could maybe cut with their daggers. And it had nice, flexible branches. Maybe they could twine them together, to keep it from leaking. "Let's cut down that tree," he suggested.

Korlys pulled out one of his blades and went to the young beech tree Mario had pointed out. The sapling was tall, but only a few inches in diameter. He cracked and twisted the green wood, bending it back and forth until only the strands that wouldn't break were left, then used his dagger to hack at it until it was free. The assassin scanned the area. There... An oak tree stood nearby with a wide trunk and large outspread branches. That would do nicely, although they wouldn't have much room. But it was on a slope, which would keep water from pooling underneath them.

He cut off the topmost part of the sapling get to a sturdier part of the trunk. With the heavier end pointing up, Korlys dug into the ground with the thinner end, then wedged it against the oak. The assassin quickly cut down a few smaller saplings, while Mario leaned them against either side of the main support and interlaced the branches to help keep the rain out. Then they gathered some pine branches and piled them on top of the saplings to form a roof.

The first drops started falling as they finished up and crawled under the shelter. Korlys put his pack under his legs, hoping it would stay dry. They had just enough room to stretch their legs out, but not enough to be able to lie down all the way.

"Well, we did the best we could." The Antivan eyed the shelter. "If the wind does not blow too hard, we might actually stay dry. Mostly dry, anyway. The thick canopy will block some of the rain, too." Korlys couldn't help grinning at Mario. He was pretty damn proud of it, to be honest. For city elves, they had done a good job.

"Yeah, we did. It's better than many places I've slept at least." The young thief returned the grin. It was obvious Korlys had never built a shelter before, but he had good ideas and was clever enough to make them real, too. Mario stretched out his legs, sighing in relief. He wasn't made for crawling through the forest and climbing hills, up and down like some fucking caterpillar.

"You can put your pack between us. It'll be uncomfortable if you keep it there," he suggested. "I won't steal anything, if that's what worries you."

"No," Korlys said, moving the pack between them. "I only thought to try to keep the pack dry if the roof started leaking."

The assassin listened to the rain for a moment. So far, the shelter was quite cozy. It felt a little awkward, though, sitting so close to Mario that their shoulders were almost touching. Especially since most of the day the mood between them had been so tense.

"Are you hungry?" Korlys asked.

"Yeah," Mario replied, though he didn't care about food right then. With nothing to do or think about, his mind returned to what had happened the night before. The more he tried not to think about it, the more he remembered every detail. It didn't help that he could still smell them on himself. At first he was too obsessed by the desire to kill Jasper; then there was no time, and in the forest, he didn't trust Korlys enough to undress in front of him. But here, in this narrow space, the smell seemed worse than before.

Korlys didn't know why the other elf hadn't washed himself, it was the first thing you wanted to do after being raped, but he _did_ know how badly Mario must want to get clean. Rummaging through his pack, he pulled out some soap and a small towel and held it out to the young thief, avoiding looking directly at him.

"Here," the ex-Crow murmured. "You will feel better if you get their smell off of you. I will turn away while you get clean."

_Yeah, sure. What the fuck do you know about it, or how I feel? _Mario glanced at the soap. He wanted to refuse, to tell Korlys where he could stick it. Instead, his hand grabbed it and closed around it as if it were a jewel. "Thanks," he muttered.

He got out and walked behind a tree, where Korlys couldn't see him without getting out as well. Not that he could see much in this downpour, but it made him feel better. He pulled off his shirt and trousers and hung them over the nearest branch. They would get soaked, but he didn't mind. It wouldn't be the first time he spent a night in wet clothes… and at least they wouldn't smell. He scrubbed himself as hard as he could, letting the rain wash the dirt and soap away. It did make him feel better.

"Thanks," he said with a grateful little smile when he returned to the shelter, handing back the soap and the towel. He sat as far from Korlys as he could, so he wouldn't get wet as well.

Korlys had pulled out a dry towel and some clothes, and laid them on top of the pack. "Here, I have a pair of trousers and a shirt that are dry. They will be a little long on you, but at least you will not have to sleep in wet clothes." Korlys turned away from Mario and waited for him to change.

"You're giving me your clothes? Why?" The thief's voice was incredulous. "Why would you do such a thing?"

"Why?" Korlys frowned. "Why would I let you stay wet all night when I have dry clothes?"

"I never had any spare clothes in my life," Mario said. "They're expensive and hard to get, at least if they're in any decent shape. Why would you let a stranger borrow your clothes?" _Especially a stranger you want to kill,_ he thought, but decided not to say it aloud.

"Well, it is just until your clothes are dry. It is not like I will have to buy more to replace them, _sí_?"

It still didn't make any sense, but if Korlys didn't mind, why should he? Changing clothes in the small shelter was not easy at all, but finally he managed to wriggle out of his wet clothes and into Korlys' dry ones. He had never worn such fancy clothes before. He neatly folded up his shirt and trousers and put them near his feet, so he wouldn't get all wet and dirty from them.

"Thanks," he said in a friendlier voice. "Okay, you may turn now."

Korlys turned back around with a little smile. He carefully wrapped the soap and put it back in his pack, but put the wet towel by his feet.

"_Va bene_, let's eat." He pulled out the sheep cheese and a loaf of bread, adding some of the smoked mackerel this time since they hadn't touched it yet. It would have been a meager meal for just one of them, but who knew when they'd get more? Best to eat as little as possible, as long as it didn't make them too weak.

"We can eat more later if we are still hungry." He handed Mario his share and then pulled out the bottle of wine, still half full from lunch. Korlys tore his portion of bread open and stuffed the fish and cheese into it, his mouth watering even before he bit into his sandwich.

One irritating thing about borrowed fancy clothes, Mario thought, was that he couldn't wipe his fingers on them. Fully focused on not spotting them, he ate in silence. Only when he finished and put the bottle down did he look at Korlys, thinking about what Korlys said when he let him borrow the soap. How did he know? Did it happen to him as well? _No; _Korlys was too strong to let that happen... Should he ask? Korlys seemed more normal now, like he was this morning, but what if he took it personally and got offended? No, he decided it was better not to say anything.

The rain pelting on the shelter's roof sounded even louder as they finished their meal in awkward silence. Korlys wasn't surprised that Mario stayed quiet; he was probably embarrassed, although there was no need to be. It happened often enough in the Crows. He sat back and took another sip of wine. It was horrible, but the alcohol relaxed him, and he needed that. "Did you get enough to eat?"

"Yeah. Not used to traveling like this - with no place to stay and little food - are you?" He'd bet the guy had never slept outside of a bed before.

Korlys passed the bottle back to his companion. "It is that obvious, is it? No, I have never had to sleep outside. I have gone without food, though, when I was still a child and had to fight for it. But once I became a full Crow, I never had to go hungry again."

Mario shrugged. "You worry too much about clothes and eating your fill. More than two weeks on the street, and you forget about such things." He stopped, and quickly took a long sip from the bottle, half expecting the jumpy assassin to get mad again. _Maker's cock, I should watch what I say_. And change the subject, before Korlys started arguing again. "Why did you run away? And why are they so determined to catch you? Yeah, I know you said they hunt anyone who tries to leave, but come on, that's… too fucked up. Do they have that few men? And if they have few men, why waste more on hunting runaways?"

"I ran because a pampered slave is still a slave. They have a never-ending supply of new recruits. Orphans are cheap and street kids are free, so they can afford to hunt me. What they _cannot_ afford is for us to get the idea that it is possible to be free. Then they would have their hands full chasing runaways." Korlys shrugged. "Besides, my master will pay a lot to get me back, dead or alive. I am sure he would prefer that I be alive though, so he can have the pleasure of watching me die slowly. It is a matter of pride that no one has ever escaped one of Nico's cells and lived."

"Crows are slaves?" Mario's eyes widened. "But… why? I thought they were similar to our guild. As you said, street kids are for free. Back when Jasper found me, I'd do anything he wanted for a bowl of soup. Yeah, they made us take an oath to always be loyal to the guild, blah blah blah… but nobody gave a fuck, really. You wanted to go? There were ten others waiting for your place. Nobody bothers to hunt runaways - why waste good guys who could do business instead? And to hunt someone just to watch him die slowly… no offence, but your master is fucked in his head."

Surprised, Korlys threw his head back and laughed. "_Sí,_ Nico is definitely 'fucked in his head'." He stopped laughing, but couldn't wipe the grin from his face. The elf motioned for the bottle and took a drink before continuing, a little more seriously this time.

"It takes a lot of training to create the best assassins. And a lot of coin. They expect to get their money's worth."

Mario jerked at those words. Crows, Templars, they were all the same. Fuckers. Get their money's worth - like a few coins made you their toy. He clenched his jaw and grabbed the bottle. There was little left at the bottom now; he finished it in one gulp. He looked at Korlys thoughtfully. The assassin didn't look like someone who'd let people boss him around.

"So you didn't want to be an assassin anymore?"

"_Sí_, I do not want to be an assassin anymore." And he didn't want to talk about it anymore, either. "That wine leaves a nasty taste in your mouth, no?" Korlys dug a flask out of his pack. "I have some Antivan brandy. Want a sip to get the taste out?" He took a sip himself before handing it to Mario.

"A sip," Mario agreed. He had more than enough for one day, but he felt that discovering your companion used to kill people for a living justified it. It certainly explained some things… Well, he said he didn't want to do it anymore; Mario could only hope it was true. "Or two." He sighed, then sniffed the stuff and took a sip. The next moment he was coughing, his eyes full of tears. "Maker's blue balls," he gasped. "That's fucking strong. People really drink that stuff?"

"I suppose it is an acquired taste." The Antivan grinned. "Next time, take a smaller sip and savor it before swallowing."

The sound of the rain was soothing, and Korlys listened for a while, lost in his own thoughts. As the assassin thought back over the day's events, he remembered he'd wanted to ask Mario some questions, but at first they'd been preoccupied with getting away. Then they'd had that fight, and he had figured the other elf wouldn't be interested in talking. Maybe now Mario wouldn't mind; he seemed a bit more relaxed, anyway.

He turned to Mario. "So, now you know why the Crows want me. Why are the Lizards out to get you? You said you killed someone named Jasper. Who was that?"

"Our guild master. And the Lizards are the biggest and best thieves' guild in Ferelden," the thief declared. "Nothing goes on in the town without us knowing."

"So, I suppose they will hear about our little escape from the Crows, yes?" Korlys thought through the implications. "So they will know an escaped Crow left with some outside help, and that you disappeared at about the same time, right after killing your guild master." He watched as the blood drained from Mario's face.

"_Fuck_. And Wilbur - he's most likely to be the new guild master - I bet he'll go to the Crows. Do you think the Crows would work with roof rats like the Lizards? I know Jasper had connections to guilds in other cities. If they help Wilbur get me, he can have rats all across Ferelden looking out for you."

"Of course. It is a simple matter to capture you if they find us together. They would probably kill you anyway, even if your roof rats were not working with them. Just on principle."

"Principle," Mario muttered with a wry smile. "Makes sense. I also killed Jasper on principle."

"Oh? What principle is that?"

Mario's face became expressionless. "That when you betray your friends, you die," he said. "Jasper sold me. Last night," he added, hoping Korlys would understand.

"Good for you, for killing that _stronzo_."

"It was Jasper who recruited me to the Lizards, when I was a kid," Mario whispered, turning away. "He made me who I am. He was like a father to me, you know. To all of us."

What could he say to that? A betrayal of that magnitude would be impossible to get over... and no response he could give would help right now. "That's fucked up Mario. I am sorry to hear it. I hope you get the people he sold you to one day, as well."

Mario shrugged again. "I don't regret what I did. I'd do it again. What I regret is that I let it happen. That I didn't realize sooner what kind of fucker he was," he said bitterly. "How can I believe anything he ever said to me now? What if it was all a lie, my whole fucking life? He lied about the Crows, he sold me to those Templar bastards - for_ fifty silver_. And they thought it was _too much_! Demanded their money's worth…"

Mario's emotions were so raw, Korlys was surprised he'd managed to hold it together for this long. "_Sí_," he agreed, keeping his voice soft. "You cannot know..." The Antivan searched for something to say, struck by the similarity between what Mario had said and his own remarks earlier.

"What did Jasper tell you about the Crows?" Korlys asked, trying to change the subject and curious about what the man might have said.

"There are Crows in Denerim," Mario began, "their boss is called Ignacio, do you know him?" He looked at Korlys. "And he has an assistant, a dumb fellow called Cesar; they pretend to be merchants, have their stand right in the middle of the market. Us roof rats sometimes help them. We'd spy on some people, or try to find a way to sneak into a house. And sometimes, there were rumours that people we spied on died, or disappeared. But, Jasper always assured me it was okay, that it wasn't related with what we did or with the Crows. He made it look like they were like us. Thieves, or spies - bards, or whatever is it they're called. He never said they were assassins. Or fucking _slavers_." His eyes darkened at the thought. "A lot less people would be willing to help, if we knew."

Korlys nodded. "I know Master Ignacio... _Sí_, Jasper lied. But, I do not think the Crows recruit from anywhere but Antiva, so you haven't been helping slavers." He gave Mario a wry grin. "Just assassins. I do not suppose that is much better though, is it?"

"If they're willing to hunt you and return you to your master, they're no different from slavers," Mario snapped. "I guess you don't know, but during the Blight, one of them fuckers from the palace… Loghain, you've heard of him? He allowed Tevinters to come to the alienage and take the elves away as slaves. There's no sympathy towards slavers among elves, and if they knew what Crows are, they wouldn't help."

"That _pezzo di merda,_" Korlys said with a shake of his head, but no real heat. "Probably to finance his war, no? They always prey on the elves first." In the gathering gloom, it was hard to see the young thief's expression, but it wasn't difficult to figure out that he'd lost someone to slavers.

"You done with that, or do you need another sip?" Korlys asked.

Mario handed him the flask. "I'm done with that. I don't think I could survive another sip," he chuckled. "Thanks for listening," he added softly. "It helped."

"You are welcome, Mario," Korlys replied as he tucked the flask back in his pack. He leaned back against the tree again. "We should get some sleep if we can. I'd usually say we should sleep in shifts, but I do not think that will be necessary tonight. I am a light sleeper, anyway."

"Yeah, you're right. I don't think even Crows would be crazy enough to wander through the forest in this downpour, but we should get moving tomorrow at daybreak, if they're as dangerous as you say," he said.

It was still strange, to think of Crows as dangerous assassins and slavers. Slavers..._ It's none of my business_. He helped him once, and the ungrateful fucker wanted to kill him. Yeah, but… nobody deserved to be a slave. Not even jumpy assassins. Could he just stand by and watch the slavers do as they liked? Mario clenched his fists. _Fuck no_. But did he have a chance, against the Crows? Maybe he should just leave - why should he risk his neck for Korlys? _Because I'm not a fucking coward_.

There would be time to think about that later, he decided. He leaned against the tree and closed his eyes. "Good night," he muttered.

"Good night." Korlys listened to the rain, surprised the roof had held so far, as he gradually relaxed his body. Mario's reaction to finding out some Crows were forced to be assassins surprised him. _I wonder who the slavers took from him. _That was what? Seven years ago? Probably family, then; he was just a kid when it happened. Maybe his father? He said Jasper was 'like a father' to him... fuck... and then the bastard sold him. _Kid's got balls, though, killing the man right after. He would have made a good Crow. _A ghost of a smile crossed his lips at the thought. _Considering all that has happened to him - betrayal by a father figure, gang-raped, murdering Jasper, being forced to help my jumpy-ass self - Mario has held himself together remarkably well. I need to stop being so hard on him. _

Korlys was exhausted, but his tired brain wouldn't stop rambling. He closed his eyes, forced his attention back to the sound of the rain, and started regulating his breathing, calming his mind the way he'd been taught as an apprentice. In a few moments, his mind quieted, and he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_mi dispiace - _I'm sorry

_pezzo di merda - _piece of shit

_sí - _yes

_stronzo_ - asshole

_va bene -_ okay

A/N

Thanks to our incredible betas, Bloodsong 13T and Oleander's One for all their hard work and attention to detail. Did we say you were awesome? Because you totally are. Thanks to the both of you, this chapter is a hundred times better than it was. :)


	3. Chapter 3

Mario woke up to someone grabbing his shoulder. "We found him, boss." He opened his eyes, and stared into Ricky's face. He tried to push the kid's hand away, but he couldn't move it. Fuck, since when was Ricky this strong? His fingers were almost clawing a hole into Mario's shoulder.

"Good," said a hoarse voice, as Jasper's purple face came into view. He still had that shocked expression, eyes bloodshot and bulging, his lips blue. "He has an important mission tonight, don't you, my lad? Ser Piers and his friends were asking about you, said you did a good job the last time."

And there they were, all three of them, with their greasy faces and sweaty hands. Ricky was still holding him; he couldn't get free no matter how he thrashed. He was helpless in their hands again as they ripped the shirt off his body and pulled down his trousers...

Ricky shook him. "Mario, wake up. You are safe, it is just a dream," he said in a deep voice with a funny accent. That made no fucking sense! Cursing, he finally pushed the hand away and sat up. Covered in cold sweat, his heart thumping as if it wanted to jump out of his chest, he looked around. _Where did Jasper disappear to? Are those three still here somewhere?_ He needed to get out, he had to run away - but what if they were outside?

"Hey," a gentle voice said. "It is fine... it was just a dream. You are safe now."

The moon was out, but not much light filtered into their makeshift shelter. Mario turned towards the voice and blinked. Of course - it wasn't Ricky, it was Korlys. The runaway Crow. They were in the forest, Jasper was dead and the Templars far away. He took a deep breath.

"Just a dream," he whispered, relieved. "Didn't mean to wake you up," he apologized. "Sorry."

"_Va bene_. It will be a few more hours before the sun comes up. Do you think you can go back to sleep, or do you want to stay up?"

"No, I'll stay up," Mario said, trying to keep a whimper from his voice. He didn't want to see Jasper's dead face again. Or Templars. He peeked outside. The moon was out, and the air was fresh and full of pleasant scents. "I think I'll go out for a moment." He scrambled out and stretched his back, taking a deep breath.

Now that he was awake, Korlys doubted he'd get back to sleep again. "Sure." Korlys watched as the other elf left. He didn't want Mario to think he was following him, but he had to piss, and his whole body was cramped from sitting in such a confining space. At some point during the night, their shelter had started leaking. Most of the leaks were small, but it was enough to make him very damp. The cool of the night air made his skin feel clammy, and the rough bark digging into his back was extremely uncomfortable.

Korlys left the shelter to relieve himself, listening to the sounds of the forest as he went. Now that the rain had finally stopped, all sorts of animals and Maker knew what else had started making noise, some of them indistinguishable from the sound of footsteps. It made him edgy, and he hurried back when he was done.

Mario shot a suspicious glance at Korlys over his shoulder, but the other elf went in the opposite direction. Korlys was a fucking confusing man, he thought. Jumpy, and took everything personally - fuck, he even _said _so. Usually, people at least _pretended _they had a sense of humor. But, sometimes he was kind. Like last night, when he had lent him the soap and clothes. Or now, when he woke him up from a nightmare.

And there was the fact that he was a slave… Runaway slave, hunted by a freak with more pride than common sense, just to be tortured. And with no experience with living on the streets... Mario would bet the assassin couldn't even steal. Without help, Korlys had no chance to escape slavers.

He returned to the shelter, and leaned against the tree. This would need a lot of thinking. Well, at least he had something to keep him awake until morning…

oOo

Korlys spent the rest of the night listening to the sounds around him, sure he heard footsteps at least a dozen times. His hand had never left the hilt of his dagger, and he was glad when he noticed the dark finally lifting. After a quick meal, they kicked apart their makeshift shelter, scattering the branches to remove the traces of their campsite. Korlys refilled his waterskin, and they headed out.

They walked in silence. Mario knew what he needed to do. If he didn't want to end up with his throat slit, anyway. But it still didn't make it any easier. He tried to remember the last time he'd voluntarily done something like this, but nothing came to mind.

"Hey. Korlys," he started, with an anxious cough. "I'm sorry. I'm usually not such an asshole. Or at least not such a big one. I just… speak my mind. It may sound bad, but I don't mean it personally, you know, to offend people. Well, usually." He chuckled, then got serious again. "It has gotten me into some deep shit before," he admitted. "People don't like hearing the truth. They want niceties, they want stupid flattery. I don't do that. I don't _want_ to do that. So they try to teach me respect. Show me my place, and all that shit." He swallowed, forcing himself not to think of the Templars again. "Can you handle that?" _If not, I need to lose him somehow._

Korlys turned and looked at the other elf. "That is not... I did not mean it as 'showing you your place'. In the Crows, if you let people disrespect you, if you do not teach them that they cannot intimidate you, you will not survive." He knew it would be hard for Mario to understand the life-or-death situations he had grown up in, and how they had made him who he was. "Look, I was not meant to be anything more than a killer... It makes me a little hard to get along with, too." Korlys chuckled at that understatement. "Can you handle _that_?"

Mario arched his brow. "Well… I guess that's also true. You are _little _hard to get along with." He chuckled. "But, I don't give a fuck what you were meant to do. What matters to me is that you ain't a freak who enjoyed it. You had enough sense and balls to quit. So yeah. I can handle that." Mario reached out his hand to Korlys. "Shake on it?"

Korlys grinned and shook Mario's hand. The kid was crazy, but he liked that. And he'd have to be crazy to hang around with Korlys, anyway.

"_Va bene_. Come. We need to keep moving." He readjusted his pack and started making his way through the forest again.

oOo

The assassin's stomach rumbled for what seemed the hundredth time. They had stopped for a meager meal in the early afternoon, but even so, he was worried about their food supply. _There must be something out here we can eat. But what? We do not have anything to fish with, no traps, not even a bow to hunt with... _What _else _could they eat? What did the animals around here eat?

"Mario, we should look for nuts or berries or something while we walk, yes? Our food supplies are already running a little low. If we could find something else to eat, we could make it last longer."

"We could collect acorns," Mario suggested. "We'd have to soak them for a few days before they're good to eat, but at least we'd have something." He had said he was used to being hungry, but not to being hungry and walking hours and hours through the forest. Besides, it had been some time since he was _this_ hungry - there was always a bakery stall at the market where he could snatch a meat pie or two.

"Good idea. And maybe we can find some edible berries along the way, too. I know some are poisonous - Crows use them to make poisons - but some of them are good. If we find any blueberries or blackberries, we can gather them as we go."

Mario shot a brief admiring glance at Korlys. Maybe he wasn't so helpless after all. "Okay. I know nothing about blueberries, you'll have to point them out."

It didn't take them long to find acorns - they were abundant underneath any oak tree. Finding berries Korlys would pronounce safe was more difficult. The assassin insisted on testing them first to see if they were safe by crushing one of the berries and applying it to his lips only. They had to pass on several that looked edible after they caused Korlys' lips to go numb or burn. He gathered some of the more poisonous ones and carefully wrapped them in a towel and put them in his pack, though. It never hurt to have new ingredients to experiment with.

Finally, they found some berries that resembled blueberries, but grew on trees that looked a lot like pines. After fifteen minutes, Korlys' lips still hadn't reacted, and he cautiously took two of the berries and ate them slowly. He turned to Mario after another fifteen minutes or so. "I think these are good. They are not as sweet as blueberries, but I am not getting sick. We should be careful to not eat too much at first, though, just in case. We should eat a few, then gather some as we go."

With an eager nod, Mario picked a handful of berries and ate them all at once.

"Whoa - Mario, I said a _few_. Some berries are safe only if you do not eat too much. We should eat a little, wait an hour, and if we are fine, eat a little more."

"You mean even fewer than this? I'm not a bird, you know," he muttered but obediently stopped. Instead, he grabbed the basket and started to fill it; if he was to survive on something that tiny, there had better be heaps of it.

oOo

Their pockets were bulging with acorns when they finally stopped for the evening. The basket was almost full of berries - a feat, considering both of them had ended up eating more than they had gathered. But they were both so hungry it was hard to slow down, once Korlys had decided that the berries were safe.

They sat near the stream and emptied their pockets, gathering all the acorns into a pile to start shelling them. Both of the elves were in considerably better spirits now, and they wore small smiles as they relaxed.

"You know," Mario said, as he grabbed a few acorns and started shelling, "I'd never think bird food like those berries could make me full," he said, nodding toward the basket.

Korlys watched Mario carefully as he started shelling, then picked up a couple of acorns and mimicked his technique of squeezing two or three of them together to crack the shells. "_Sí_. I am surprised. We did eat a lot, but not so much that I am stuffed. Yet, I am not hungry anymore. With the berries and the acorns, we should be able to make the food we have last a lot longer. You know-" Korlys stopped as Mario suddenly sat bolt upright, his eyes wide. The look of surprise was quickly followed by dismay as the thief squeezed his eyes shut tightly and clasped his belly with both hands. "Mario? Are you-" Korlys was cut short again as Mario jumped up and bolted for the nearest bushes. The assassin started to get up, but stopped as all the muscles in his lower belly cramped, causing him to double over in pain.

oOo

The stars were already paling by the time it stopped. Exhausted and shaken, Mario lay curled at the river bank. His lips were chapped, but he dared not drink, lest the cramps start again. He turned his face to Korlys, who lay next to him in the same miserable shape.

"I think I'll go on a diet today," he muttered.

Korlys laughed shakily. The cold sweats were finally abating, but he still felt chilled from the dew that had covered both of them. He was so thirsty. As much as he had tried to stay hydrated, and had encouraged Mario to do so as well, they had both been too weak to drink enough water.

"_Sí_, one that contains no berries... but we must get up and eat a little and drink water to gain our strength back." As much as he didn't want to, he forced himself to sit up and pull his pack closer. He pulled out some of the bread and tore it in half, handing a piece to his companion. "Here, we should be able to handle a small piece of bread, at least."

Eating was the last thing Mario wanted to do right now, but Korlys was right. He sat up and reluctantly took the bread. "You think we can sleep now? Or will those fucking Crows of yours swoop down on us if we stay here for a few more hours?"

"I think we must stay for a few hours. We will not get far today anyway, but right now we are too weak to leave." Korlys grabbed his waterskin, still half full, and forced himself to drink, then handed it to Mario.

"Good." The thief took a few sips and nibbled on the bread. All he wanted was to lie down and sleep, but not while he was stinking of shit. He got up and walked a bit further from Korlys to strip. Muttering curses under his breath, he was heading to the water when he noticed the basket. Still laying on the bank. Heaped with those fucking killer berries. Mario's nostrils flared. Without stopping to think, he swung at the basket, kicking it hard.

"Fucking berries!"

The basket spiraled through the air into the river, the blue berries raining everywhere.

Korlys had just opened his mouth to ask Mario about the cat tattooed on his shoulder. He promptly closed it. _Cazzo. This is all my fault. We should have stuck to acorns. _Although... he eyed the nuts, still in a little pile, distrustfully._ Maybe it would be best to stick with real food from now on._

"_Mi dispiace_, Mario."

"Nah, not your fault - you did what you could," the thief muttered as he continued towards the water, slightly embarrassed for the outburst. _But I sure as fuck won't eat any berries you say are okay_. "Just... let's never talk about this again."

"Agreed!"

The assassin lay back down and rested one forearm over his eyes. A little smile ghosted across his face. He was surprised and relieved that Mario wasn't blaming him; it was his idea, after all. A Crow would have been much harsher.

His thoughts turned back to yesterday, when _Mario_ had apologized to _him_. How could Mario trust him, just because he'd said he didn't want to be an assassin anymore? In spite of the fact that he'd threatened to kill him. The thief had even shook his hand. _How could it _not_ bother him that I am a killer?_ A normal person would have cut and run when they saw a chance; it's what he expected Mario would do. Instead, he'd given him a second chance. Korlys shook his head, a tiny motion that he didn't even realize he'd made. He couldn't understand it. _There must be a logical explanation. _

He heard Mario getting out of the water and dressing. A moment later, the thief came to return the soap. Korlys forced himself to his feet. Those thoughts would have to wait; he needed to clean himself before the little energy the food had given him drained away.

oOo

They kept their promise and never talked about the berries - but they never tried to pick any others either. At least they still had the acorns; once they overcame their suspicion, the acorns turned out to be quite tasty. It wasn't much, but better than nothing.

Their mood was definitely better as well. Whether it was because he felt guilty for the berries or for some other reason, Korlys had been much more bearable in the last three days. He had an annoying habit of exaggerating when talking about the Crows and Antiva; one would think they had no match in the world. And he was still jumpy sometimes, though nowhere near as much as during those first two days. He didn't make any death threats; he just became sulky and quiet. Annoying, but not dangerous. Once you got used to that, he was okay. In fact, when he wasn't sulking, he could be friendly and quite fun to talk with.

Mario cast a nervous glance at the man beside him. If he was sticking around with Korlys, he might as well use the time to teach Korlys a few skills. He already had a plan, but it worried him a bit. What if the proud assassin misunderstood and got mad again?

"So, you said you wanna leave Ferelden. And then what?" he asked nonchalantly. "If the Crows hunt you all the time, you'll hardly have a chance to settle down and find a job. And traveling costs money, if you want to use ships. You _sure _you have enough money for that?"

"I _had_ a plan, but, because of the shipwreck, I could not leave Denerim when I had wanted; I was not there long before those Crows spotted me, either." Korlys had known staying in Denerim was risky. Nico and Ignacio had known each other since they were apprentices and had cooperated on a few high-profile missions before Ignacio had moved to Ferelden. Korlys had met Ignacio several times, and there were some Crows in his cell who could recognize him if they saw him. But he needed money. A lot of it. And Denerim was a bustling port city, where jobs were plentiful for skilled fighters who didn't ask questions. "So, no, I do not have all the money I need. _Yet_. But, I plan to take mercenary work. I will not be able to linger in one place long enough to learn a trade; I have to keep moving if I want to stay one step ahead of the hunters."

Mario quirked his brow at the assassin. "You think you can find a job in the nearest village, then?" he asked innocently. "Since you don't have any money now."

"I do not know," Korlys huffed in irritation. "And I do have _some_ money."

"You sure? Maybe you should check," Mario teased him with a wide grin.

"What?" He stopped and checked for his coin purse. "What the fuck?"

"Here." The thief pulled Korlys' purse from his pocket and tossed it back. "Don't worry, nothing's missing. But, if you were in a city, you'd be without a single copper. Possibly without those fancy daggers, too." He shook his head. "You won't survive for two days like this."

Korlys put his coin purse away, annoyed. "If I had been in a city, I would have been on the lookout for pickpockets... and _nobody _could get my daggers from me. I survived the Crows; I can survive better than you think." _Who does this guy think he is talking to, anyway?_

"Wanna bet?" Mario offered. "You're on to me now, right? I'll bet you all the money I have that I can take those daggers off you before lunch and you won't notice. Look, I'm not trying to offend you here. But life in the streets is not like with the Crows. There are different rules, and if you don't know them, you're in trouble. You can learn the hard way, if you want - or you can let me help you. Your choice."

"I will take that bet. How about you lead the way from now on, yes?" He moved aside to let Mario pass. "And by the way, even if you _could _take the two daggers you see, you could not take _all _of them. You might want to keep that in mind."

Mario's smile disappeared at Korlys' words. "Do you always threaten those who want to help you?" he asked. "They'd be useless to me anyway. You know I'm no fighter. Eh, whatever. You don't want help, fine with me. When the first roof rat robs you blind, don't come to me."

Korlys stared at the insane elf incredulously. "You threaten to disarm a _Crow _and..." He trailed away, unable to comprehend how Mario could be surprised at his reaction.

"I didn't _threaten _you. I warned you that in a city, it can happen more easily than you think." Mario sighed. "I'm not your enemy, Korlys. I didn't steal any of your money. Go and count it, if you wish. And I wouldn't steal your weapons. I just wanted to show you how easy it would be for an enemy to do it. But as I said - you want to learn the hard way, go ahead." He shrugged. "Try, at least, not to underestimate roof rats. That's not about you. There are people out there who could steal underwear from your master without being noticed, you know."

Korlys shook his head. The other man was definitely crazy. No doubt about it. "No one can get close to my master. If they could, he would be dead by now." The Antivan took a deep breath, marshaling all his patience. "You are seriously underestimating the Crows, Mario. But, if you can take my daggers from me before lunch, then you can teach me not to underestimate thieves. And I can teach you not to underestimate Crows, _si_?"

"Deal," the young thief said with a wide grin, and looked up. It was difficult to see the sun here, but he'd say they had walked for two or three hours now. "That gives me three hours to do it," he said. "Piece of cake."

He moved forward, much less confident than he pretended to be. It _would _be a piece of cake if they were in a city, but he didn't know the terrain here- hmm. That could be the way to do it. His grin became more sincere as a plan formed in his mind. Yeah, he could do this. And it was Korlys who made it possible. That was the best part of it.

oOo

Korlys had been silently watching his companion since they had made the bet two hours ago. He didn't know Mario very well, but he already knew that the man wasn't one to give up. He was far too stubborn and proud for that. But he had been a bit surprised at the other elf's silence. _Probably trying to figure out how to save face when he loses, _Korlys thought with a smirk.

Oddly enough, the thief picked that exact moment to speak up. "Should we build a shelter tonight as well?"

"_Sí_, I think we probably should. Even though it has finally stopped raining, the shelter will keep some of the mosquitoes out," the assassin agreed with a grin.

"You think?" Mario chuckled. "I'm used to sleeping outside, but this forest creeps me out. Forests are for bugs and bears, not peeeeeee - _fuck_!"

Korlys' eyes widened as Mario tripped and went tumbling down the hill. The thief landed on his back, then skidded to a stop inches before he would have hit a pine tree head-first. "_Merda_! Mario, are you okay?" he asked, moving forward to help him.

"Yeah, I think so," the thief grumbled, when he ran out of all the curses he knew. His head was spinning, and for a moment he lay there, gazing at the sky. Only when Korlys was almost there did he try to stand up. He hissed and sat back down heavily. "Oww, fucking shit!" He carefully felt his right ankle. "Well, the good news is, I don't feel any bones sticking out, but it hurts."

Korlys hurried over and knelt to help him, slipping off his pack as he did so. "Let me take a look at it." The Antivan took Mario's leg and placed it on his lap, carefully feeling for any breaks.

Mario gave Korlys a grateful, but pained smile. "Could you help me get to the bank?" he asked. "I think it's just sprained. Cold water will help to stop it from swelling."

"Here..." Korlys shifted closer to Mario's side, grabbing the rogue's right arm and putting it around his neck. "I will help you up." He slipped his left arm around Mario's waist and slowly started easing his companion to a standing position. "Is your ankle the only thing that is hurting?"

"Yeah." The thief screwed up his face. He got up, trying not to put any weight on his right leg, and hopped alongside Korlys all the way to the river. "I think it's maybe an hour to noon," he said as he pulled off his boots and rolled up his trousers. "What would you say if we stayed here now for an early lunch?"

"_Sí_. I will go grab my pack." Korlys hurriedly retrieved it, then left the pack by the side of the river. He sat down and pulled off his own boots and socks, rolled up the legs of his trousers, and then waded in to stand by Mario. The water felt cold and refreshing. "How is it feeling? Let me see."

Mario sighed. He hadn't expected Korlys to be this gentle. It made him feel like an asshole, and he hoped Korlys wouldn't be pissed off. "Shouldn't you check something else first, _before lunch_?" he reminded the Antivan with a smirk.

"Hm?" _Lunch! _Korlys' hands flew to his daggers... Or where his daggers _should _have been. He backed away quickly as a stream of Antivan curses flew from his lips, fear suddenly gripping him, and his hand immediately going to the small of his back. The assassin relaxed slightly as he realized he still had _that _dagger on him, at least. Still... He'd been so easily tricked. _He is right. All that training and you still let someone get close enough to disarm you. You will never survive this way. _

When Korlys reached behind him, Mario paled and took a step back. "They're here," he said quickly. He pulled the daggers out from under his shirt and handed them to Korlys, hilt first. "Don't kill me."

Korlys stepped forward close enough to retrieve them, calming himself but still visibly shaken. He returned to the shore and sat down. "_Va bene_... I was wrong. I did underestimate how easily I can be disarmed," he said, when he had calmed down. "I have never let pride get in the way of my survival... and I will not start now."

Mario had made no move to follow him, and his face was pallid. Korlys gave him a small, and he hoped reassuring, smile. "Come sit down. I am not going to kill you." Mario glared at him suspiciously, but walked over and sat down, albeit well out of arm's reach. He reminded Korlys of a skittish, feral cat - unsure if it should come closer for a treat from your hand or run away.

"I'm sorry I tricked you like that," the thief apologised. "I didn't mean to upset you, I just wanted to help. You're… confusing as the Void. Arrogant and jumpy one second, then friendly and caring the next." He bit his lip, wondering if it was a good idea to say that to the Antivan, but now that he had started he might as well finish it. "I never met anyone like that before and I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not, but I will help you. I'll do whatever I can to help you get away from your Master. If you want."

Korlys laughed quietly. "Do not be sorry. I needed that; I would not have believed you otherwise. But, I do not know why I confuse you." He opened his pack and started rummaging through it, glad to have somewhere else to look. "It is in my best interests to make sure you do not slow me down as we travel, no?" he asked casually. "I would like your help, of course, but, why would you help me? You have no reason to." He looked up briefly, grinning roguishly at Mario. "After all, I am a jumpy man with pointy daggers who has already threatened to kill you once."

"Twice," Mario corrected him. "Guess I'm a lunatic like you said. And still wearing your clothes, even though mine dried long ago. Hm… How much would it have slowed you down, if you had let me stay filthy, or wear stinky clothes?"

Korlys went back to digging in his pack, a small frown on his face. "As I said, I did that because I know what it is like. Besides, you could have gotten sick if I had let you stay wet. And it would have been pointless to make you change once your clothes were dry, when mine were already filthy, _sí_?"

Mario decided not to pry about what happened to Korlys. No need to talk about it - he knew what it was like only too well. "I never had spare clothes in my life, and I don't remember the last time I was sick. And if I got sick, you could just leave me behind," he pointed out. "Though you did try your best, you can't scare me away now. I made up my mind, and I'm just as stubborn as you are," he said with a smirk, crossing his arms.

The assassin glanced back at his companion, his frown smoothing into a small smile. "_Va bene_, I will not threaten to kill you anymore if you do not try to disarm me anymore." He conveniently ignored Mario's logic and extended his hand to shake on it.

"Okay. I won't disarm you anymore if you don't threaten me anymore," the thief returned with a chuckle, and shook Korlys' hand. _Better not tell him I know now where his other dagger is_.

Relieved that they were done with that topic, Korlys glanced over at Mario's feet. The thief's boots, already shabby when they had met, were almost worn through in spots now. "We need to get to a town within the next day, I think. You need good boots. And our food is running low." _And I am already tired of acorns._

"We'll need much more than my boots and food," Mario pointed out. "Rope, for example. A kettle… probably other things. I need a pack and a waterskin. We should go over it as we eat." He chuckled. "Simple pickpocketing won't be enough - let's hope the nearest village has a well-supplied store."

The assassin frowned as Mario started listing all the things they needed. He had five gold pieces on him, but he had no idea when he'd get to a town where he could pick up work, and how long he'd be able to stay there before being forced to move. _And I have not even made back the money I lost when the ship went down. _"Hey, how much money were you betting with, anyway?"

"Not one copper. I left it all for - I left it back in Denerim. So you see, I couldn't lose!" The thief's eyes sparkled with mischief. "No worries. You saw how fast I can get money when I want, right? We just need to find a town."

Korlys chuckled. "Well, let us hope the townspeople have enough coin. Maybe I could help you relieve them of some of it... If you are willing to teach me."

"I was thinking of breaking into the store at night. Much faster and easier, if you ask me." Mario laughed. "Of course I will teach you. But it's not something you can learn in a day. So when we reach the town, don't try stealing, okay? Leave it to me this time. You're traveling with one of the best Lizards in Denerim, after all. You'd be st- I mean, it'd be a waste not to use that advantage."

Korlys looked up from rummaging through his pack with a smile, amused by Mario's correction. "_Grazie,_ Mario. I am going to get cleaned up while we take a break." He studied the sky. The sun was out, and he didn't see any rain clouds... yet, anyway. "This would be a good time to wash our clothes, while the sun is out to dry them. I think it is safe to stop here until then."

"Good idea." The current here wasn't very strong, and it was a hot day. "I think I'll go for a short swim," Mario said, and chuckled. "Let's hope the Crows won't turn up while we're half-naked."

Korlys snorted. "They have a tendency to show up at the worst possible times..." _Like when you are not ready to die. _The assassin quickly finished his meal and gathered up the soap and a clean towel. He gave a happy moan as he peeled off his dirty clothes and waded out into the water.

When Korlys started to undress, Mario turned away, determined not to look. How could Korlys be so at ease? But when the Antivan passed by, something on his back caught Mario's eye, and he couldn't help staring. _Maker's cock._ His eyes widened and he barely suppressed a shocked gasp. Korlys' back was covered with thin lines, white crisscrossing trails that ran from his wide shoulders to his firm buttocks. And as if to make it clear who was responsible, there was a tattoo on his right shoulder, an eye mask surrounded by red crow feathers.

_That master of his is really sick. Someone should rid the world of him. _Korlys said nobody could get to him, but Mario didn't believe that. It just took a lot of patience - years, sometimes - and good planning…

But right now, it was more important that Korlys was going to wash his clothes. He'd need his spare clothes when he got out. Mario took his old clothes from Korlys' pack, then pulled off the borrowed ones and put them on the bank; he'd wash them after he took a swim. He shot a furtive glance at the assassin; he was wading into the water, not looking back at Mario. Good. Feeling awkward and self-aware, he entered the river and swam in the opposite direction from Korlys.

Swimming always helped to clear his mind; it was his favourite thing to do, second only to running over rooftops. There was no guild, no petty intrigues and the quarrels of other rats, no worries about tomorrow and mundane things like food; there was only him and the water, and the ripples that he set into motion. He lay on his back and let his thoughts wander as the current ran over his body.

oOo

It had been three days since the berry incident. That had been the last time Korlys had allowed himself the luxury of more than just a quick dip to get the worst of the dirt off. The assassin took his time soaping and rinsing his hair, then worked his way down his body, scrubbing until he was clean. After washing his clothes, he laid them out on a flat rock. Mario's clothes were in a pile not far away, and Korlys wrinkled his nose at the smell coming off them. He noticed that the younger elf had decided to come closer, although he was obviously still skittish, and gave Mario a reassuring smile.

"Could I borrow your soap again, to wash my clothes?" the thief asked. "And to wash the clothes you lent me, before I return them?"

"_Sí_." _Thank the Maker. _Korlys grabbed their clothes and waded back into the water. "Here you go," he said, handing the other elf the dirty clothes and the soap. He sighed and leaned back on a nearby outcropping of rock, tilting his face up and closing his eyes, enjoying the feel of the warm sun on his face and chest. Korlys reached up and squeezed the excess water from his hair, then ran his fingers through it to help it dry faster.

"Thanks." He smiled at Korlys, grateful he didn't have to go all the way out and back again. A pity he couldn't stay in the water for a few hours, like a fish. He soaped his clothes, breathing in the scent. A few days ago he didn't care about such things, but now he could enjoy it. It wasn't the coarse, odourless soap he was used to. This one had a delicate smell, fresh and slightly spicy… it reminded him of fruit he had nicked from the house of a wine merchant last fall, round and orange and juicy. Nothing like he'd ever had before.

"What is this smell?" he asked Korlys curiously. "I like it."

He opened his eyes and smiled. "It is called 'wassail'. It has orange, vanilla, and spices in it." It was a luxury Korlys had become accustomed to, once he had started making enough money to afford it.

"Orange?" Mario quirked his brow. "You mean, the round orange fruit? It's really called an _orange_?" He laughed. "How silly."

Korlys chuckled at that, his eyes dancing with amusement. "Well, what would you call it, then?"

"Well… I don't know. But it's like… calling the sun 'yellow', or a tomato 'red'. A pumpkin is also round and orange, but it's called a pumpkin, not a big orange." He chuckled. "Do they grow in Antiva? Oranges, I mean."

"_Sí_. We grow a type of orange called a 'blood orange'. It is native to Antiva. Very fitting, I think." He chuckled again. "But the Antivan word for an orange is _'un'arancia'_. Sounds better than just 'orange', yes?"

"A _blood _orange? Sounds good," he said, grinning. "How do you say orange, in Antivan? The colour."

"You say it _'arancia'_," Korlys replied.

"Unarancha and arancha." Mario laughed again. "That's still almost the same. But I like how it sounds. Antivan is a nice language, like a song… well, at least from what I heard from you."

Korlys grinned. "I agree. It is a beautiful language, just like the country it comes from." His smile turned wistful as he remembered he'd never see it again. All the beautiful piazzas and trattorias he had lingered in during sultry late summer afternoons... when he'd had the time, anyway... only memories now.

"I think you would like it, Mario. The pace there is slower. People linger over meals - the best food you ever tasted - for hours, talking to friends as they sip their wine and watch the early afternoon slip into early evening. And there are markets and squares everywhere, filled with people browsing the merchants' wares and haggling over prices." Korlys' grin turned mischievous. "Plenty of people to pickpocket."

'The best food he ever tasted' would be easy enough, but lingering over meals for hours seemed like a waste of time. He'd much rather pick a few pockets. "A place worth visiting, then." Mario shot a thoughtful glance at Korlys. "Would the Crows hunt you even if your Master died?"

Korlys gazed away as he considered the question. "I do not know. My master is offering a lot, I am sure, but if he were dead, I do not think other Crows would pay so much for my head." He looked at Mario and shrugged. "But, Nico is not so old; he will not die anytime soon. Not naturally, anyway. And he is far too well guarded for anyone to get close enough to kill him. Even if he was not guarded, he is a dangerous _bastardo_ - a master assassin in the Crows. Why?"

"Everyone dies," he said, with a little shrug. "He might be unreachable now, but who says it will always be that way? It might take years, but that makes the moment you finally return home and kill him so much sweeter." His lips curled in a little triumphant smile for a moment, before he schooled his face into a neutral mask and rinsed his clothes again. They didn't need it - they were the cleanest they'd been since he'd had them, by now, but he didn't feel like walking out of the water in front of Korlys.

He watched Mario's expression change, and how quickly he tried to cover it. _So, not just Jasper, then? _Korlys wondered who it could be, but he supposed it really wasn't his business. Everyone had secrets. "Are you done with those?" He nodded his head at the clothes Mario had rinsed out. "I think I am going to get out now and let the sun dry me off. Might as well put your clothes with mine while I am there."

"Would you? I - I'd like to stay in the water for a little longer and go for another swim," Mario said. "It's hot, and the water feels so… refreshing." _Too _refreshing; it was okay while he was swimming, but after few minutes of standing and washing clothes, he had almost turned into an icicle.

"Sure." He took the clothes and squeezed the excess water from them. Korlys was getting goosebumps after standing still for awhile, and Mario's lips were starting to turn blue. It reminded Korlys of the first time it had happened to _him_. How he hadn't wanted anyone to see him naked. He hadn't had much say in that in the Crows, but at least he could give _Mario_ some privacy.

Korlys found a relatively flat rock and stretched out with a happy sigh. The warm rock underneath him and the sun above made him drowsy, and he allowed himself to doze as he stayed alert to the sounds around him.

Mario swam for a few minutes, then glanced toward Korlys, lying still on a flat rock. He couldn't tell if the assassin was asleep, but at least he wasn't looking this way. Good… and the sunbathing was quite appealing too, right now.

He swam back to the shore and climb on a flat rock a few yards away from Korlys. He sat down with a contented little sigh and turned his face to the sun, enjoying the feeling of warmth returning to his stiff limbs.

oOo

Korlys woke from his doze some time later. He wasn't sure how long he'd been there, but the sun was already edging towards the horizon. The assassin sat up, feeling uneasy. It was time to move on. He looked around for Mario. The other elf was already dressed and sitting near their pack. He got up and pulled on his clothes, then walked over. "I think we should keep moving now; we should not stay in one place too long." He didn't _think_ the Crows would have kept following them through the forest for this many days, but one could never be too careful when being hunted by them.

"Okay." Mario got up and looked at the sky, still without a single cloud. "At least it won't rain. If we don't stop before dinner and don't make a shelter, we can still hike for an hour or two, so it's not so bad." He gave Korlys a reassuring grin. "They're not gonna get us, don't worry."

Korlys was not so optimistic.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to our wonderful betas, Oleander's One and Bloodsong 13T, for all of their help, encouragement, and enthusiasm. You guys are ridiculously awesome! :D

_bastardo_ - bastard

_cazzo_ - fuck


	4. Chapter 4

The next afternoon, they finally saw what they had been hoping for these last few days: a cluster of buildings squeezed into the small valley below like mushrooms just waiting to be picked. Dragon's Peak was cradled by the Drakon like an infant in its mother's arms. City walls encircled the town. Beyond that, the land was a rolling patchwork of emerald greens, golden yellows and rich browns, with small farms sprinkled here and there amongst the fields.

"Look, Korlys! Our supplies!" Mario's lips spread into a wide smile. This would be fun.

Korlys' smile matched Mario's. He felt a little more relaxed, now that they had put more distance between them and Denerim. He doubted the Crows would have the manpower in Denerim to pursue them through the forests, but Nico must have heard of the wreck by now; reinforcements would surely come. The sooner he was out of Ferelden, the better. "This must be Dragon's Peak. We should see what we can scout out tonight, yes? If we split up, we should be able to hit all the shops and get away before daybreak. We can meet up on the outskirts of town, where the river continues." He turned to look at Mario. "We should decide what each of us will get, so we do not miss anything."

"That depends on where the shops are. Once we know that, we can split them among us." Mario hesitated. "Now, don't get offended and all mad again, but… you sure you can do it? You ever broke into a shop before?"

"Well... I am stealthy, and I can pick locks... simple ones, at least. I have had to break into a few houses while on missions. But I cannot pick very complicated locks, and I have never broken into a shop."

Mario nodded. "Okay. We'll wait until the sun sets, then we'll go scout the shops together and see which ones have a simpler lock. Show me your lockpicks."

Korlys shook his head. "I lost them when the ship went down. I lost just about everything. Most of what I have now I bought in Denerim. Do you have extra?"

"Of course I do. Who you think you're talking to?" He rolled up his shirt and unraveled the hem. Even though he had his set now, he always took care to have some extra lockpicks with him. "Never go anywhere without a solid lockpick," he said, handing Korlys two lockpicks and a tension wrench. "These are pretty good, won't break even if you rake a lock."

"_Grazie_." Korlys smiled. "We should scout together, then, and pick out the easier ones for me to take."

"Yeah, okay. But not on empty stomach." Lunch seemed back in the Blessed Age, and he was so hungry it hurt. "We can go over the things we need as we eat," he suggested. "It will make scouting and the work faster."

"Good idea." Korlys dropped his pack and started rummaging through it. He pulled out all the food they had left: acorns, a scrap of bread, and an almost empty bottle of wine. "I want to get some good wine when we go 'shopping'. This _merda_ is not fit for a dog."

Mario chuckled. "Yeah, it tastes more like ogre piss than wine. Food is the biggest priority, though. We should get as much as we can, things that will last, dried meat, fruit… especially apples, if we can find them."

Korlys nodded, mentally adding cheese and hardtack to the list.

"Okay, so besides food, what do you want to get? I'll try to get new boots, maybe even clothes. Backpack, waterskin, rope." He counted on his fingers. "Did I forget something?" he asked, grabbing a fistful of acorns - Maker, but he was glad they would have something else to eat tomorrow. One more day of these and he'd turn into a squirrel.

The assassin pulled off a piece of bread and chewed it thoughtfully. "It would be great if we could find a tent. Then we would not have to rely on finding the right materials to make a shelter, or waste time building it." He reached for the wine and took a swallow. "Also, if we come across a bow and some arrows, I might be able to use it for hunting. I am not an expert bowman, but I do know how to use one. Maybe even bedrolls." The Antivan grinned as he started to daydream about all the luxuries they would find.

"Yeah, and let's take a wagon and a few oxen as well." Mario laughed. "You're really not used to this kind of life, are you? Bedrolls would be like a dream - but we have to carry it all on our backs, and we shouldn't take too much. Let's first see what we really need and if we still can carry it, we'll think of that. Do you still have some health potions? We should find an apothecary and get some."

Korlys chuckled. "I suppose you are right." He still planned to get a bedroll if he possibly could, though. Sleeping directly on the ground was for the birds. "I have three health potions, and a couple rolls of bandages, and a poultice. So we should definitely get more, if possible."

"So, we need to find a general store, a tailor, a shoemaker and an apothecary." Mario nodded, satisfied with the result. "The two of us should be able to do that in one night." He glared at the acorns and decided he could go without them for the rest of the day. "If you're done, let's go down and find a hiding place not far from the wall."

Noticing Mario's look of disgust, Korlys chuckled. "_Sí_, I am ready." He put the bottle back up, just as disgusted with the wine as Mario was with the acorns, then shouldered his backpack.

They climbed down on the eastern side of the town, taking care to stay hidden in the forest, or wrapped in shadows, when the forest ended. There were bound to be guards on the wall, and two guys hiking down the sloping hills instead of taking the road could be suspicious. Normally, Mario wouldn't be bothered by such details. Guards were too lazy to check on two random travellers a few miles away. But Korlys insisted there could be Crows there as well. If they had ridden to Dragon's Peak the day they left, they would have been there long ago.

They found a cave in the foothills not far from the city walls. It wasn't big, but it was dry and cozy. There were still ashes from a campfire, and few empty bottles of cheap wine, but they looked old and didn't reek anymore. Nobody had been here for at least a few weeks. The cave was partially hidden from view by bushes just like the one with those fucking berries that had made them sick.

"What do you think? It's not likely we'll find anything better," Mario said. "Should we cover the entrance more?"

Korlys' stomach hurt just looking at the bushes. "No, it would be too easy to spot any artificial cover among the natural vegetation. This will have to do." The assassin settled down to rest and watch the city walls as far from the bushes as he could get without being exposed. They needed to know the guards' routine before starting out tonight.

_To spot _what_? Maker's cock, why can't he talk like normal people? _But, Mario had to admit the assassin had a point. Watching the guards was quite clever, as well. _Looks like he knows what he's doing, after all_.

oOo

The city guards were as predictable at Dragon's Peak as they were anywhere else; one passed by about every fifteen minutes or so. The patience he had learned as an assassin served Korlys well, and the time flew by as swiftly as a crow.

Once the sun started going down, they headed towards the town. The hike didn't take long. Before they reached the city's stone walls, Korlys wrapped himself in shadows. The assassin saw Mario doing the same as they paused a moment to look out over the town**.** The sun had set, but there was still more light than Korlys would have preferred.

Dragon's Peak was nestled in a wide curve of the river, with small wood-frame houses clustered around the town proper. The streets turned from dirt to cobblestones where the shops started, with street lamps every so often, a new light flickering into existence here and there as the street lighters made their rounds.

The city was laid out in a grid-like pattern, and appeared to consist of a few major roads running roughly parallel to the Drakon, with smaller side streets crossing them. Sturdy buildings of river stone and rough-hewn timber lined the roads, and it was obvious by the bright light streaming from the windows which one was the local tavern.

The assassin turned to his companion. "Well, the shops are nicely darkened, at least. Shall we?" They could at least scout the area now, although there were probably still too many townspeople about to start breaking and entering. Korlys pulled up the hood of his cloak to hide his ears, just in case he was spotted.

Mario nodded, scanning the area with an experienced look. There was no trace of a smile on his face: this was business, and the slightest mistake might cost them hands… or heads. "Follow me," he whispered.

The shops on the main roads were always a bad idea. More fancy, more valuables, yes. But much more risky; fuckers who could afford shops in a fancy part of a town usually could also afford guards, dogs and Maker knew what else. Not worth it, not without a strong guild guarding one's back. Shops in the side alleys were a much better choice; harder to find in an unknown territory, but they had enough time.

Nobody noticed them as they crept through the streets, carefully avoiding the flickering light of the street lamps. Mario was pleased to see the assassin was as good at sneaking as he was. Almost. He also was more pragmatic than Mario originally thought - he was worried that the proud Antivan would try to prove how badass Crows were, and was pleased to see he had sense enough to let Mario do his work and scout the best targets, checking the security and escape routes as they went.

Two hours later, the thief knew enough. "Okay, we're done. You'll do the general store. I'll do the other three. Let's go back to the cave… or do you want to go to the general store one more time, to memorize the route?"

Korlys chuckled softly. "No, I remember the route to the store." No assassin would forget a route he had walked that quickly, _especially_ not a Crow. It seemed Mario was still underestimating him.

oOo

It was getting close to midnight when Korlys pulled out his whetstone and sat down at the entrance to the cave. The assassin had stood watch for the past hour as Mario slept, and although he knew his blades were already wickedly sharp, Korlys never started a mission without this routine. He reached into one of his boots and drew out a stiletto, then started sharpening it carefully. The sound of the whetstone gliding against the blade soothed the assassin as he went over the route in his mind's eye, each possible ambush point and dead-end standing out clearly.

All the discomfort of the past week fell away like a shroud, and the Antivan felt himself back in familiar territory, even though his mission was to steal, not to kill. This was the part of his job he had always enjoyed: gliding silent and unseen through city streets as he scouted out his routes; the familiar, comforting routine of honing his daggers; going through his equipment carefully to make sure he had everything he needed. He loved the planning, the strategy involved.

Korlys would have imagined a thief's job to be much the same, but Mario's only concern when they had gotten back to the cave was that they both should get some sleep. _Well, at least we reconnoitered the area. But, we should be_ _going over the plan, now. We can sleep later, when the mission is over and we are somewhere far away from here._

"Mario. Wake up. It is almost time to leave, and we have not finished planning."

The thief sat up. _We haven't? _He ran through the list in his mind. They had found the best targets, the shortest routes to the wall, decided the time to start. There was nothing else they could do. But, Korlys was a rookie, no wonder he was worried.

"Don't worry, all that's left is- what are you doing?" He frowned at the stiletto in Korlys' hands. "You won't need _that_. You must not kill or hurt anyone! If you're noticed, don't fight, run. Understand? We're in deep enough shit already anyway."

"I will not kill anyone." _If I can help it. _"But, it does not hurt to be prepared, _sí_? That is why you also carry a dagger, is it not?"

"Not really. We were always told that we're honest thieves, not killers. To carry a knife and rely on violence during the mission was a sign of a lo- of a rookie," he corrected himself. No need to offend his jumpy partner right before the mission… and especially not right when he was sharpening one of his blades. "If you wanted to be respected and get the higher rank in the guild, you had to do clean jobs, without anyone hurt. I carry that knife because it is special to me… it's a long story. But, I've never seen a knife like yours."

Korlys raised up the dagger so that Mario could see it clearly; the sharpened edge glittered in the moonlight. "This is called a stiletto. It is an assassin's weapon of choice; it is easy to conceal, and it can penetrate heavy leather and inflict mortal wounds without leaving much blood, because the entrance wound is so small."

"Oh, so that's the one you hide under your shirt behind your back," Mario said with a smirk, before he realized what he'd just said. _Fuck. I need to be more careful_.

"No, this is not that one," Korlys said, his voice smooth as he raised an eyebrow at the smirk. The assassin returned to his task as he continued, "Perhaps I will show that one to you later, yes?"

Mario didn't like that tone much._ I hope he won't show it to me by sticking it into my chest_. How many daggers and knives did he have, anyway? Better to change the topic. "Yeah, okay. What I meant to say was, that after we finish the job, we will return here and wait for each other… For two hours, let's say. If you come first, and I'm not back in that time, it means there was trouble. In that case, run. I'll follow as soon as I can."

"Good plan. If I am not back in two hours, you run too. _Cazzo_, do not wait two hours. I only have one store to rob, so if I am not back before you, I probably will not be."

"Only one store, but a lot of things to take," Mario pointed out. "We don't know the insides of the stores, so you'll have to search the shelves. It can take a lot of time. Burglary is a hard job; don't underestimate it." He grinned. "Also, the things that are most displayed, on shelves at eye level, they're usually the worst shit that the merchants want to sell quickly. Look at the upper or lower shelves."

Korlys nodded. "Good point."

The assassin finished sharpening his blades, then shouldered his backpack. The moon was high overhead as the elves silently retraced their steps to the city's wall. They waited almost five minutes after the last guard had passed before scaling the stone wall. Korlys slipped into the shadows and made his way to the general store, his steps as quiet as a cat's.

oOo

The first on Mario's list was the shoemaker. The lock was nothing special; he couldn't have gotten inside faster if he'd had the key. One would think the merchants would put more effort into protecting their stores… not that it would help against someone of his skill. With a smug grin, he walked in and quietly closed the door behind him. All he could see were dark lines of shelves and the counter, but that was all he needed - in nineteen cases out of twenty, there was a - yes! His grin became even more smug as he found the candlestick on the counter. He took out the tinderbox from his pocket and lit the candle.

With a candle in hand, he started to browse the shop. It wasn't just a shoemaker, he was pleased to see - the shop was joined with a tanner and had all sort of leather stuff. Including backpacks. He chuckled under his breath as he picked one made of studded leather - black with copper buckles, nice wide shoulder straps and several smaller pockets. This merchant really knew how to care for his customers.

oOo

Korlys made it to the general store without being noticed. He pulled a lockpick and the tension wrench from an inner pocket and knelt down. Inserting the tension wrench in first, he delicately rotated the cylinder clockwise and felt it give a little. Then he rotated it counterclockwise. He grinned as the cylinder did not budge. _Clockwise it is then,_ he thought, moving the wrench back to its former position, and rotating it enough to keep tension on the lock. He carefully inserted the pick, slowly tapping the top of the cylinder to count the pins, and to find the binding pin. _Five. That is not so bad. _He went back to the pin that had been a little more difficult to push up than the others. Korlys carefully applied upward pressure and grinned smugly as he heard the tiny click of a pin being set. _I remember more than I thought. _He retested the remaining four pins. Finding the new binding pin, he delicately pushed up; it was not long before it clicked into place as neatly as the first. The smug grin on his face gave way to muttered curses at the third pin, however.

oOo

Mario left the shop with more than he came for. He found a nice pair of black boots, made really well, of a good full grain cow leather, and immediately put them on, shoving the old ones into his backpack. They were a bit too big, but comfortable. And they were a set with a pair of black fingerless gloves and a practical belt; most likely custom made to someone's order. It'd be a fucking shame to leave them behind, so he put them on as well. He was ready to leave, when he noticed bulky packages on one of the bottom shelves. Curious, he opened one and pulled the pieces out. It took him a moment to realize what it was; then his lips spread into a cheeky grin. This should make Korlys happy. He stuffed everything back into the package and put it in the backpack, together with a candle. Target one: done. Full score.

He carefully peeked through the door before he sneaked out. The streets were dark and peaceful, the citizens of the Dragon Peak sleeping soundly in their beds. What a wonderful place to live. Especially for a thief.

oOo

Korlys struggled with the third pin for a few minutes before it finally slid into place, only to realized he had pushed too far, and now the key pin was stuck at the shear line.

_Brasca. _The assassin looked around. He did not see anyone, and had not heard footsteps. Yet. But this was taking too long already, and he only had two pins out of five set.

_Va bene. Let's try this again, _Korlys thought as he carefully allowed the cylinder to rotate back into place, dropping the pins. This lock would be simple for Mario, he knew. _I need him to teach me this as well as picking pockets. _He took a calming breath and tried again.

He had finally gotten the first three pins set, and was starting on the fourth when he heard footsteps. And they were coming his way.

oOo

On his way to the next stop, Mario wondered how things were going for the assassin. He should be halfway through by now. Hopefully he wouldn't forget to take some dried apples and apricots. They didn't weigh much… unlike that thing he took for Korlys. If the spoiled brat wanted it, he would have to carry it himself, Mario decided, heaving the backpack on his shoulder again.

The tailor put more effort into protecting his store; an average burglar would have a problem. The standard hook lockpick wasn't enough, and he had to try several before the lock opened. He stepped inside and lit the candle on the counter - no need to waste his own. He had never broken into a tailor's shop before; they'd had an agreement with the guild. No wonder - otherwise every rat in Denerim would try to steal himself new clothes. All the clothes he had ever had were from the guild's own fences, cheap and worn out.

He took out a few things from the shelves, breathing in their clean, _new _smell, feeling the smooth fabric, and felt completely lost. What should he take? On his way here, he had been determined to take only a plain shirt and a pair of trousers, but… why couldn't he get spare clothes as well? And socks. And the vest. And a cloak, with a hood. In the flickering light of the candle, he couldn't see well, but that didn't matter. Anything would be better than his rags. The size was more or less okay and he picked dark colours, brown and dark blue… or black, he wasn't quite sure. He packed everything neatly into his backpack, feeling oddly guilty about taking so much.

But now that he had new clothes, it would be a shame not to take good care of them. He quickly scanned the shelves and finally found what he was looking for - a small sewing kit. It had all he could wish for: a thimble, straight pins, a heavy pair of scissors, a horn needle case, chalk, and some other things he couldn't even name, all packed in a leather pouch.

Satisfied, he stuffed it in his backpack and hurried out; he had spent more time here than he'd liked.

oOo

Korlys held his breath as the footsteps came closer. He did not want to remove the instruments, but even cloaked in shadows he wasn't _completely_ invisible. Someone getting close enough might spot him, and he could not take that risk.

A burly man rounded the corner, accompanied by a giggling woman hanging on his arm. They were staggering and whispering, and every few moments a burst of raucous laughter escaped them.

_Cazzo._ Korlys reluctantly removed the wrench and pick, then slipped into the alley beside the shop, hugging the walls as he did so. He crouched behind some discarded crates and waited for the pair to pass by.

Long moments slipped by before the couple _finally _made it to the general store. And stopped.

There was a slapping sound, followed by another giggle. "Yor right frisky tonight, Tommy. Woss gotten into yer?"

"Wot, then, eh, luv? Can't a man just be 'appy ter be wiv 'is favorite girl?"

"Oh, I'm yor favorite, am I?"

"O'course yer are, Jenny! S'truth! Yer know yor me favorite."

Korlys rolled his eyes. The next few minutes were filled with more of the same, punctuated by the sounds of very sloppy kisses. _If those fuckers do not move on in the next ten minutes, I am assassinating them, and fuck the consequences._

oOo

And finally, the apothecary. So far, everything had gone smoothly, especially considering they had never been in the town before. _Of course it went smoothly. I'm fucking awesome_. Korlys was probably done by now, and having a late snack in the cave, the lucky fucker. Well, it shouldn't take him much longer now, either.

The lock was complicated, one of those new 'extra-secure' types locksmiths were selling for a lot of money, to make the miserable life of a burglar even more so. But, there wasn't a lock that couldn't be picked. After a few minutes of careful picking, it finally clicked open. He checked the street once again, but all was quiet.

Silent as a cat, he sneaked inside and lit the candle. The small space was crammed with shelves full of fat porcelain pots and colourful vials. He ignored the pots, and scanned the shop for health potions - their bright red colour was easy to recognize even in poor light. He put them in his pack and grinned. Almost done. Now only the soap… and his nose told him it was in the box behind the counter. He jumped over the counter, and was just reaching for two of the neat square parcels of soap when he heard a funny noise behind him.

Like sniffing. And huffing.

He slowly turned around.

A huge mabari gave him a toothy, hungry smile.

_Oh fuck_.

oOo

Korlys' hands were twitching towards his daggers when the couple _finally_ continued on their way. He looked up and down the street, listening for more footsteps, but all was quiet. Taking out his tools, he started back on the lock, getting the first three pins set more easily than the last two times he had tried it. Now for the fourth. He started applying pressure to the pin, rotating the cylinder gently... there was the tiny click! Followed immediately by the realization that he had pushed too hard _again_, and the key pin was stuck. Korlys pulled out the pick and tension wrench harder than he probably should have, standing up and swearing under his breath like a sailor.

The assassin took a deep breath and knelt down to try again. _I am giving it five more minutes. If the lock is not open by then, I am breaking the window and grabbing everything I can as fast as I can. _Relief washed through him a few minutes later as the last pin was set and the lock finally rotated open. Giving one more glance around to make sure he wasn't being observed, he entered the store and closed the door behind him.

oOo

What kind of a lunatic leaves a beast like that in a store full of porcelain pots? And without any food, judging by that hungry look. _If that thing gets me, not a bone will remain_.

"Good doggie." The beast looked more like a rabid baby bear than a doggie, but Mario wouldn't risk saying that aloud. You could never be sure how much a mabari understood.

"Look, I'll put it back." He pretended to put the soap back into the crate, while slipping them into his pack. He wouldn't fail his mission for a bag of fleas. Even if it was a big bag of fleas with a lot of sharp teeth.

The mabari wasn't fooled. It growled again and took a step forward. Mario cursed under his breath. He had nowhere to go, caught between the shelves and the counter. The only exit was behind the mabari. He judged the distance. It was a slim chance, but the only one he had. And he had to do it - now!

They jumped at the same time, the mabari hitting the place he had stood the moment he got over the counter. He sprinted for the door, arms wrapped around the still open backpack. The dog followed so closely he could feel its hot breath on his legs. He opened the door - thank the Maker they opened outward - and sprinted down the road.

The dog followed, barking at the top of his lungs - and a moment later, the windows of the two nearest houses glowed with light.

oOo

Korlys stood by the door, watching vague shapes appear out of the gloom as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. There was a little light coming in through the window from a nearby street lamp. Enough for him to move around without bumping into things, but not enough to make out what those things were. He needed a light source. Making out the counter area to his left, the assassin hurried behind it, looking for a lamp or candle and a tinderbox to light it with.

Finding what he was looking for, he lit the lamp. Korlys turned the flame as low as he could and hoped that no one else would pass by. He added the tinderbox to his pack and started down the aisles, mindful of how much time he had already lost.

_Food, wine, rope... and anything else that looks useful. _He followed his nose to the food first, picking up three small wheels of cheese, pausing, then throwing one more in his pack. Dried apples, currants, dates, figs, raisins, blueberries, cherries, and four loaves of hardtack soon followed. The elf searched until he found the dried meats and added as much as he could stuff in his pack, with just enough room left for rope and hopefully some decent wine. _That should last a while. At least until the next town we come across. _

He grabbed some rope on the way to the wine. _Okay... Which ones? _He tried getting the lamp close enough to read the labels, but most of it must have been Fereldan, because he had never heard of them. _Only one way to find the good ones. _Korlys unslung his pack and picked up the closest wine skin.

oOo

Mario turned the corner, cursing under his breath. After few seconds of useless fumbling with the buckles, he gave up on closing the pack, and just twisted the straps around its neck. For a moment he was half tempted to throw it all away; but the image of Korlys making fun of him and thieves was enough to change his mind.

The fucking beast wouldn't stop barking and following him, and more and more lights were appearing in windows. He needed to get on the roofs, but climbing up with the heavy backpack with that dog right behind was impossible. He needed something to -

There! Mario almost sobbed with relief as he saw a few barrels piled in three lines along the wall of a house. He sprinted towards them, throwing the pack on top first, then jumping up after it. The dog stopped, barking madly at the barrels.

The window at Mario's left flew open, and a fat woman leaned out. Mario pressed himself to the wall, holding his breath. But the woman didn't look his way.

"Button it! Struth! Stoopid mongrel! Oi!" Something flew out - a full chamberpot, judging by the terrible smell. The mabari yelped and jumped back. Mario sent an air kiss in the direction of the fat lady, and climbed onto the roof.

oOo

Korlys ended up trying all of them before finally settling on one, and added four of them to his pack. It took some time, but as far as he was concerned, it was worth it. _It is bad enough I have to sleep on the ground. I should not have to drink... what was that Mario called it? Ogre piss. Sí, I should not have to drink ogre piss as well._

He closed his pack and slung it over his shoulders. Now he just had to get back and he would be done. Korlys extinguished the lamp, then carefully opened the door a little and looked out. Convinced that no one was around, he slipped into the shadows, feeling very pleased with himself... and slightly tipsy as well. _Mario has probably been back at the cave for a while now. _The assassin looked around. _Maybe if I cut through some side streets I can get back to the wall faster. It will not be the same spot we climbed over, but I will make faster time once I leave the city. _

Satisfied with his logic, he turned down a smaller street and headed for the wall.

oOo

Mario sat down for a moment, listening for steps or voices, but it seemed the fat lady was satisfied with chasing the mabari away and went back to sleep. Once everything was quiet, he closed the pack properly and put it on his shoulders. Covered in shadows, he raced over the rooftops. Korlys must be at the cave already.

When he reached the wall, the guards were nowhere to be seen, but he decided not to risk it. He wanted to have a full fifteen minutes to get over the wall - one chase was quite enough for tonight. It proved to be a wise decision, as they arrived a moment later. Good thing Korlys thought of finding out their routine. He had some good ideas, that guy.

Half an hour later, he finally reached the cave. "Korlys?" he called softly, looking around, half expecting Korlys to suddenly emerge from the shadows. There was no reply. "You can come out. It's just me, Mario." There still wasn't any reply.

Could it be that Korlys wasn't here yet? But what could take him so long? It had been at least an hour and a half since they parted in town; he should be here. Maybe he had been spotted and was hiding somewhere?

He frowned. They had agreed on two hours, and two hours it would be. Then… he would have to go back and search for him. He promised to do all he could to get him to safety, didn't he? It would be pathetic to let him die in the first town they came to. _Shouldn't have taken him with me_ - _next time he stays behind and waits_. He sat near the entrance so he could see any movement nearby, and waited, feeling more guilty and anxious with every passing moment.

oOo

A few minutes later, a store display caught his eye. The shop, Flourish and Blotts, looked similar to the Wonders of Thedas shop he had seen in Denerim. Korlys crossed the street and looked into the window, the street lamp behind him giving enough light to see inside. Some of the items were magical ones... or he assumed they were. It was hard to tell a normal ring from one with a rune on it in this light. There were also books written in a strange language - maybe they were spell books? A smaller section of books caught his eye. They were on different countries in Thedas, and right next to them were maps.

_I wonder if they would have a map of Ferelden? _That would help them immensely. Navigating by following rivers was tricky and inexact, and they'd have to abandon it sooner or later anyway if they were to make it to Gwaren.

Korlys swayed slightly as he examined the lock. It seemed even simpler than the general goods store. _Ah, what the fuck. I will try. If I cannot open it in a few minutes, I will just break the glass and grab as many maps as I can. Hopefully, one will be a map of Ferelden. _

He knelt down and started working on the lock, mildly puzzled when it took him two tries to insert the tension wrench, and even more surprised when he had it open in a couple of minutes. _I wonder why they would have such a simple lock on a store like this? _Korlys opened the door and stepped inside. And was immediately frozen. _  
_

oOo

Two hours were almost over. Mario got up. He should get ready. Korlys had probably been captured and put in prison. It was unlikely they would sentence him right now - they would probably bring him to the bann or whoever ruled this shithole of a town in the morning. That gave Mario only a few hours to find the prison, sneak inside, pick the lock on the cell and get the fool out. Piece of cake. A very fucking big piece of cake. It was more likely he'd choke on it.

Well, it was useless to whine about it now. He opened the pack and took out the healing potions - if the guards here were like those in Denerim, Korlys would need at least two. He stuck them behind his belt, then went outside to find some safe place for his pack. This would be difficult enough without hauling it on his back, but he didn't want to risk a random drunk getting into the cave while they were gone and taking it away.

oOo

Korlys' lungs burned as he was forced to take shallow breaths. He reminded himself of his training, and ignored the physical pain while he cleared his mind so he could think logically.

_I do not know how long this spell lasts, but it does not seem to be fatal. Which means it is designed to hold me until someone comes along. How do I get out of it sooner? _He summoned the memory of his training with Carlo, his _allenatore_. Combating magic was all a matter of willpower, Carlo had said. To resist a spell, his will had to be stronger than the will of the mage who had cast it. The only way to melt ice was to use heat; he had to raise the temperature of his body. Korlys' mind stilled further as he began to picture himself engulfed in an inferno.

Tongues of flame crawl up his body and devour his clothing hungrily... his hair dances around his face like a corona as the updraft of heated air tosses it about, sending up sparks as his hair starts to burn... his skin tightens until it splits from the heat, then turns black and starts to smoke... his lungs are seared as he tries to breathe the superheated air... his nostrils are filled with the sickly-sweet smell of burning flesh... his senses are overwhelmed by the sizzling sound of flesh and hair being used for kindling... he opens his mouth to scream...

**...**and instead takes a deep breath as the ice melts off of him. Korlys was not sure how long that had taken, but he had a feeling that time was very short, now. _I am not leaving without those maps,_ _though_.

He made his way to the display area as quickly as possible, which was not very quick at all since he had just been frozen, and grabbed a handful of maps from a nearby shelf, then shoved them into his waistband. Every step hurt as Korlys made his way to the wall, waited for the guard to pass by, then climbed back over.

oOo

Mario looked at the results of his work and frowned. It was far from perfect - he couldn't dig the hole big enough with a knife, and the cover would need more branches and leaves to look like a bush. But it would have to be enough. He could only hope that darkness would hide it from the eyes of random travelers… and that they'd _both _be back before the treacherous daylight.

He put on his new cloak, in case the guards had taken away Korlys' clothes. Breaking out of prison with a naked guy was not an experience he cared for.

And that was all. There was nothing else he could do. He covered himself in shadows again and set out down the path to the wall. But he had only gone a few yards when he heard soft footsteps. With a silent curse, he stepped off the path and pulled out his knife. If whoever it was wanted to enter the cave, he might have to kill him.

The steps passed by him, and he didn't see anyone. Not a drunk or a guard, then. He hesitated. He couldn't be sure it was the assassin. If it was, and he approached him from behind without announcing himself, the jumpy fool might stab him with those fancy daggers first and check who it was later. But if it wasn't… they would probably kill him, too. With that encouraging thought, he took a step forward, ready to bolt away at any second.

"Korlys?"

* * *

A/N:

Thanks to our wonderful betas, Oleander's One and Bloodsong 13T, for their help and encouragement, and to Oleander's One, VirusXYZ, Lucka, and Clafount for the lovely reviews.

_allenatore_ - trainer

'Flourish and Blotts' is a bookstore in Diagon's Alley in _Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone_ by J.K. Rowling.

Raking a lock - inserting the pick all the way to the back of the keyhole without applying torque to the cylinder, then quickly pulling the pick out, raking it upward against the pins while simultaneously applying light torque with the tension wrench. Theoretically, you could pick a lock just by raking it once or twice, but generally raking will only set some of the pins, and you will need to individually set the remaining pins. www dot wikihow dot com/Pick-a-Lock


	5. Chapter 5

There was a brief silence, and Mario's fingers tightened around the hilt of his knife. He took a fighting stance, ready to stab whoever it was, when the assassin stepped out of the shadows.

"_Sí_, it is just me," Korlys said.

With a shaky laugh, Mario sheathed the knife and showed himself. "I almost stabbed you. We need to agree on a sign," he grumbled. "Where the fuck were you for so long?"

"There were... complications. But, we should get back to the cave first. I need to sit down," he said, the pain evident in his voice. In truth, all he wanted to do was to curl up into a ball. Frozen skin was very painful when it thawed, and practically all of his skin had been frozen. His clothes were soaking wet and cold as well, and he needed to get into dry ones as soon as possible.

_Complications_. Yeah, that much was obvious. "Go change your clothes. And drink a healing potion. I got some more, so no worries," Mario said softly, when they reached the cave. He turned away to give the other man some privacy. "You were chased and fell into the river?" It wasn't really a question - where else could he get wet? But he couldn't imagine how it happened. The route he planned was nowhere near the river.

It was almost unheard of for Korlys to use health potions, but he drank this one without protest. The ex-Crow was used to toughing it out, and not wasting supplies on himself unless it was absolutely necessary. He quickly donned some dry clothes and spread the wet ones out to dry, then sat down near the entrance and leaned back against the cave wall, hugging his knees to his chest. "No, I did not fall into the river," he said miserably.

What could have happened? Mario carefully observed the assassin. Even if he _had _fallen into the river, the night was warm and dry. So why was he shivering? Mario sighed inwardly. The assassin had done something stupid, that much was obvious. But, he was a beginner; he couldn't be fully blamed. Or it could at least wait until he was a bit better. Arguing with him now would be like kicking a kitty.

"If you still have that Maker-awful stuff you drink, you should have some. And put this on," he said, handing his cloak to the assassin. "I better go get my backpack and change as well. No point in dragging these rags with me. Be right back, okay?"

"_Grazie, _Mario," he said gratefully. He took the cloak and wrapped it around himself, then pulled his pack closer so that he could see by the moonlight - he didn't dare use a candle. Korlys dug the brandy out of his pack and took a swallow. As the warmth spread through him, he took a deep breath, trying to marshal his thoughts while he waited for Mario to return.

"Okay," the thief said a bit breathlessly as he put his backpack down and sat next to Korlys. "Now we can talk. So how did it go?"

"Well, I got to the general store without any problems, at least." He took another sip, trying to think of a way to word this that would not make him look like an idiot.

"Good job." Praise always worked better than scolding; he had learned that from Jasper. Suppressing a yawn, Mario leaned against the wall and stretched his legs. "Was it difficult? Did you get everything we wanted?"

"I have to admit, the lock was really difficult for me, though I am sure you could have opened it with no problem. I think I will need you to train me in that as well as pickpocketing." He took another sip of brandy. "I had finally gotten three out of the five pins set when two drunken fools came wandering down the road, and I had to pull the tools out and hide in an alley. By the time they finally moved off, I was seriously considering assassinating them."

The hair on Mario's neck stood up. If Korlys killed anyone, they were in deep shit. "Yeah, that's always annoying… but it's good you resisted," he said with a grin, though it was slightly forced.

The assassin chuckled. "The fools shoved off just in time, believe me. But it put me seriously behind. I finally got into the store though, and I got everything we wanted," he said proudly. "Look and see."

"Well, I say we both deserve a snack," Mario said as he pulled Korlys' pack to himself and began to pull out the food. "Wow, you got a lot. That should last for a week. And you got dried apples!" His smile became a lot warmer at the sight of the package. Resisting the urge to open it right away, he continued to rummage through the pack. "And wine… let's hope it doesn't taste like that ogre piss from before."

It was obvious Mario was genuinely happy about the apples, and Korlys grinned with pleasure. His master had rarely praised him for anything; it felt good to know the thief thought he had done well. "Oh no, this is the good stuff. The best they had!" he boasted.

"It is? How do you know that?" Mario asked innocently; he was sure they were getting to the interesting part now.

The assassin's smile faltered as he realized his mistake too late. "Well... none of the labels looked familiar to me, so there was no way to know which ones were the good ones." Korlys' lowered his voice for the next bit. "So I had to taste them." He quickly continued, his voice a little louder now, "Try it and see." Korlys plastered a false grin to his face. He knew damn well Mario wasn't going to gloss over this, but that didn't mean he couldn't hold on to a tiny bit of hope.

"In a while," the thief said, trying to keep his voice neutral. _I have a feeling I'll need it_. "So, you tried the wine. A lot of brands?"

"Oh no," Korlys hurriedly broke in. "Not a lot. And I only took a sip from each type, of course."

"So you got us the best wine. Awesome," Mario said dryly. _Spoiled brat_. "And then? All this couldn't take you more than an hour, right? What happened? Were you noticed?"

"I do not know," he said doubtfully. "It seemed like more than an hour since I started trying to pick the lock. Most of the time was wasted waiting for those two fools to shove off. And I think it took me a good twenty minutes altogether just to get the door unlocked."

"Yeah, things like that happen, even to the best," Mario said soothingly. "You can't always plan everything. What I don't get is how you got all wet."

"Oh, that. _Sí_, well, I got out fine, but I knew I was way behind. You had probably finished all three stores by that time, yes?"

"No, I had a little adventure of my own," he said with a grin. "But I asked first. You tell me yours and I'll tell you mine."

The Antivan took another swallow of brandy, but that delaying tactic would have to be abandoned. It wasn't working, and the alcohol was going to his head. Not surprising, considering it had been a while since he had eaten. "Anyway, I thought you would have been done by now, and I did not want to be late, so I took a shortcut."

"What do you mean, a shortcut?" Mario snapped, irritated. "I planned the shortest route for you." He finally found the bread and took it out. "Here, eat something. That stuff you drink is strong; you shouldn't drink it on an empty stomach." He took some bread as well, and was starting to nibble at it when he noticed rolls of paper tucked in the side pocket of Korlys' pack. And he was quite sure there weren't any rolls stuck there before. Curious, he took one out and unrolled it; it was a map. "Where did you get this?" he asked. "They don't have this stuff at a general store."

Korlys accepted the bread gratefully. He put away the brandy and pulled out his water skin instead. "I found those in a shop on the way back. I am hoping there is a map of Ferelden in there. I just grabbed what I could. I did not have time to look at them."

_This must be a bad joke_. The thief closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay… let me summarize this. First, you tested the wine. In the middle of a job. Then, you changed the route I planned, looking for a shortcut…" _He was probably drunk. That would explain that_. "And then you broke into a shop that we _didn't scout_. And got into trouble." He glared at Korlys. "What kind of shop was it? What happened there? Did someone see you? Speak, for fuck's sake!"

The ex-Crow frowned. "Well, we need a map, no?" he said stubbornly. "We cannot follow the river forever, if we want to get to Gwaren."

"Then you should've told me," Mario cut in. "And I would have checked the shops - oh fuck." _The maps_. Maps weren't sold in normal shops. "Tell me you didn't break into a magic shop," he pleaded.

"_Sí_," Korlys said, resigned to his fate. "They were in a magic shop. I triggered a freeze spell when I walked through the door." There. At least he had gotten it over with.

Mario buried his face in his hands. "You said you _weren't _stupid," he said accusingly. "You don't break into a magic shop without days of planning, stuff that makes you resistant to spells, and, most importantly, a strong guild that can protect you from angry mages. Even then it's a job only for the best, for our masters." He shook his head and got up. "I should've done it myself. It's my fault, letting a beginner do a job like this. Come on. Get ready. We need to move out now. I've heard mages know when their traps go off; I don't wanna sit here and wait to be turned into a frog."

Korlys stared at the ground in front of him during Mario's rant. He would not hang his head, but he was miserable just the same. What could he say to that? Mario was right, of course. Truthfully, he would have preferred to stay and rest, but he had caused enough trouble already. And they needed to get as far away from here as possible while the moon was still up. The assassin got up silently and started to repack his bag. He would just have to hold on to the wet clothes for now.

Determinedly ignoring the assassin, Mario picked up his backpack, cursing at its weight. He put it back down, pulled out the bulky package, and marched up to Korlys. "Here," he grumbled, handing it to him. "You can at least carry it for yourself."

"What is this?" Korlys took the package and looked it over. "A tent?" He smiled in spite of his misery. At least they would be a little more comfortable when they _did _get to rest. "_Grazie_, Mario." He tied the tent to the top of his pack, then took off Mario's cloak and handed it back to him before shrugging his pack on. When they got a chance, they'd have to redistribute the supplies more evenly, but for now they had to put as much distance between them and this fiasco as they could.

oOo

They walked in silence, both of them too exhausted to talk. The night was almost over when Mario slowed down and looked at Korlys. If the assassin had argued with him, back at the cave, if he had started acting all superior during the way, he would have left him, the promise be damned. But, the guy followed without a word of protest, and kept the pace despite his injury. His face was ashen now and he was barely standing on his feet; a bit longer, and he'd collapse.

At the first clearing, Mario stopped and put down his pack. "We should stop and have a rest," he suggested in a warmer voice. "Sit down. I'll put up the tent." _Or at least try to put it up_. He unpacked all the parts, trying to figure out what to do.

Korlys dropped his pack gratefully and hung his wet clothes and cloak on some branches to dry. They were surrounded by trees, and his clothes were dark neutral colors, so they would not stand out too badly. Still, he made sure the branches were low, just in case. The assassin was exhausted, and still in some pain despite the healing potion. But, he had been on his feet this long. A little longer would not kill him. He had no clue how to put up a tent, but it was obvious his companion didn't either. He came over to where Mario was unpacking the tent and squatted down. "Here, let me help."

At first he wanted to refuse, but the simple truth was that the sooner it was done, the sooner they could rest, and that mattered more than pride right now. "I'm sure it would be a piece of cake if I had more light," he said smugly as he moved to make room for Korlys. "I never put one up, but I've seen tents before; some people lived in them right after the Blight. So, you know how to do it?"

"No, not really," Korlys said with a chuckle. "I just thought it would be faster if we both worked on it together. I assume we need to stake it on all four corners, and prop up the top by a support near the door flap, and another near the back, with something connecting them at the top to keep it stable. Is that what the tents you saw looked like?"

"Yeah… I think. And these," he pointed to the wooden stakes, "I know they should be hammered in the corners, to keep it in place if the wind starts blowing."

"_Va bene_, let us start by laying out the canvas, and everything that was in the package." Each corner of the tent had a hole that the short lengths of rope supplied would obviously be tied to, and the other end would be tied to the stakes. They just needed something to drive the stakes into the ground with. Korlys looked around. "What do we have that we can use as a hammer?" The ground was still somewhat soft from the earlier rains, but they still couldn't drive the stakes in by hand.

"We can try using the pommel of a dagger," Mario suggested. "The ground is not so hard here, it could work." He pulled out his knife and slammed it over the stake. It went in almost halfway. "Well, let's hope there won't be strong wind today," he said with a chuckle.

It took them a while to get the tent up and get settled inside, and by the time Korlys sat down, he felt famished. "How long do you think we can stop before moving on, Mario?" The assassin would be able to rouse himself whenever necessary; it was a skill he learned as a Crow. He just need to know when.

"I hoped you'd tell me that. We caused too much commotion. I don't think mages would follow us this far, but I bet the whole town will gossip about last night for days." Mario chuckled, then became serious again. "You think the Crows in Dragon's Peak know we were there?"

"Probably. I doubt too many local thieves would have stolen a backpack, a tent, and plenty of dried food," Korlys said, an amused smile on his face. "And speaking of food..." He opened up his pack and pulled out the first package he came to, which turned out to be bread. "Hungry?" he asked, passing over some bread without waiting for a reply.

"Yeah, but I'm too tired to chew," the thief said with a grin. "I was afraid you'd say that. Do you think we have time to rest properly, or should we run as far as we can?"

The Antivan rubbed his eyes. It was so damn hard to think, as exhausted as they both were. "I think we can spare about three hours or so. We need sleep. We cannot make good decisions when we are this tired, and we will travel faster when we are fresh anyway." He bit into the bread, then realized he was too tired to eat as well, and stuffed it back into his pack.

"Three hours?" Mario groaned. "Not a moment to waste, then. Good night… or morning… or whatever…" He was fast asleep almost before he finished.

Korlys lay back and put his hands behind his head. _Three hours, then we move on. _

oOo

Three hours later the assassin opened his eyes, not nearly as rested as he'd hoped he would be. He looked over at his companion, who was still sleeping. As much as he did not want to wake Mario, they really needed to put more distance between themselves and Dragon's Peak.

"Mario," he said, tapping the other elf on the shoulder. "Time to wake up; we need to get moving."

"I suppose it wouldn't work if I asked for five more minutes?" he muttered and sat up. "Maker, did we really sleep? It feels like we just laid down."

Korlys snorted. "I know what you mean." He took a good look at Mario, now that it was daylight. "Hey, nice shirt," he said, a big grin spreading across his face. "Purple is your color."

"Purple?" What the fuck was Korlys talking about? He wasn't colorblind, was he? "What do you mean, it's-" _dark blue_, he wanted to say, but then he glanced at his sleeve. "Purple!" He jumped to his feet, almost pulling the tent down in the process. "Fuck!"

The assassin threw his head back and laughed loudly. "Come on, it is not so bad! At least it is not pink." At that, he fell back laughing. After the stress of the last couple of weeks, it was a relief to laugh, even if it _was_ a bit crazed.

The thief glared at Korlys, but couldn't help laughing as well. "Yeah, I guess it could be worse, pink or - or…" The other one _was _brown, right? He grabbed his pack and pulled things out, throwing them unceremoniously on the ground, until he found the other shirt. And moaned in despair. "Red."

Korlys sat back up and struggled to keep a straight face. "It is maroon. I like it. Goes well with your eyes." That was all he could manage before he started laughing again; the look of dismay on Mario's face was just too funny.

"Glad I amuse you so much," the thief muttered, the grin belying his angry tone. Whatever. He wouldn't waste two good shirts just because of the colour. "Maybe it'll wash off in time," he said hopefully, as he folded his things back into his pack. At least the trousers and shoes were really black.

The Antivan grabbed his waterskin and drained half of it. "We probably have time to eat, then we need to go. I guess we need to decide where we are headed next before we do that, though. I hope there is a map of Ferelden in the pile I grabbed last night," the elf said. "I will check." He pulled out the pile and set it between them.

"Um, I…" Mario writhed a little, glaring at the rolls. "I can't read," he admitted, his cheeks burning in embarrassment.

"_Va bene_," Korlys said smoothly, not missing a beat. No point embarrassing Mario further by commenting on it. "I will see." He sorted through the maps. "Orlais... Antiva..." That one he tossed aside, snorting and rolling his eyes. "Won't need that one. Ah, here it is. Ferelden."

Korlys took the map and carefully spread it out. "Now, we are here," he said, pointing out Dragon's Peak on the map. "Here is Denerim, and over here is South Reach." He traced a path down to Gwaren. "If we want to reach Gwaren, we will have to turn and go this way, through the forests." The elf's eyebrows furrowed. "Hmm... there are not any rivers there big enough to include on a map. No cities either. But, if we make it to South Reach and turn directly east, we can hit this river here, and follow it south to the Brecilian Passage, whatever that is. Still no settlements, though."

Mario stared at the map, trying to make sense of the brown and green areas. The rivers were easy enough to recognize, blue lines… and white lines he guessed were roads. But where did Korlys see forests? He knew there were forests from here to Gwaren, but he'd never guess from this paper. "There might be some villages there," he said, vaguely pointing at the green area between places Korlys pointed out. "The villages near Denerim are not on the map, either. But, we should probably get some supplies in South Reach. Can you tell from this how far it is? Will what we have now be enough? And do you think the Crows will follow us all the way there?"

"I can estimate, based on how long it took us to get here." He studied the map for a moment, then looked up. "Maybe nine or ten days, if we make the same time we did getting to Dragon's Peak, and nothing comes up to slow us down. We should have enough food to make it to South Reach, if we ration carefully. As for the Crows, _sí_, they will follow me anywhere. As I said, they will not stop until I am dead... Or sent back to my master so that he can kill me himself."

It was difficult to decide which course of action would most likely result in their survival. "I think South Reach is our best choice," Korlys finally said, after he had thought for a while. "We cannot turn south yet and start traveling towards the Brecilian Passage. Not without any idea of when we could resupply. You are right, there probably _are_ settlements between here and Gwaren. But, it will be tricky to figure out how long our supplies will last, since we will not know when we will be able to get more. Of course, that will be a problem no matter when we turn south." Korlys shrugged and turned to look at Mario again. "What do you think? South Reach?"

Travelling through villages and towns would be easier - they could get supplies whenever they needed it - but Mario had to agree that forests were safer. "Yeah. But, you said the Crows have horses. If they were in Dragon's Peak, it's quite possible they will be waiting for us in South Reach, to set a trap for us." He shrugged. "That's what I'd do. Why hunt us down through the forest like rabbits, when we need to come to them anyway? That's what worries me."

"That will be a problem as long as I am in Ferelden. We will just have to assume a trap is waiting for us, at least in any decent-sized city. Well, that and figure out how to get resupplied without getting caught," he added with a chuckle. The assassin felt much better now that they had a plan.

"Oh, that one's easy. You'll stay behind and… cook. For example." Mario laughed.

"What?" Korlys frowned. "You are not leaving me behind. You will stumble right into a trap without me. I am the one who knows how the Crows operate, not you."

"Why? You think they'll set up a trap in a grocery store?" The thief smirked. He took out his coin purse and tied it on his belt. "Okay. If you manage to steal it from me before we reach South Reach, then we can talk about it again," he said. "Now we should split up the supplies and pack the tent."

Korlys scowled. "It is not the same, Mario. Crows are assassins. If you want to compare this to you stealing my daggers, you should say, 'If you manage to assassinate me before we get to South Reach, we can talk about it again'." Then he grinned. "In which case, there would not be anything left to talk about, yes?"

"Didn't we agree there won't be any more death-"

"Tch," Korlys interrupted. "That was not a death threat; I was merely pointing out a flaw in your logic."

"Flaw in my logic? In _my _logic? Might I remind you it wasn't me who got drunk during the job, and changed the route?"

"That does not mean I am _never_ logical!" Korlys looked away. "I just had a lapse in judgement."

"I didn't say you're _never _logical." Mario rolled his eyes. "Let's not argue again. I still think it'd be safer if only I broke into shops. You're not experienced enough. As a burglar and thief, I mean," he decided to add, before the assassin got offended again. "Though I am impressed you managed to do the magic shop. How did you escape from their trap?"

"It is because I am so hot," he said, turning back to Mario to give him a wink and a grin. "I thought that would be obvious." The thief wasn't the only one who could be hard to distract, however. "I should still be around, at least to be a lookout. I am not going to be left behind like an Antivan fishwife, and I will not let you take all the risks, either."

"Hot?" Mario burst into laughter. "You didn't look so hot when you came back. More like a chilly kitty," he teased. "And don't worry, I don't think anyone could confuse you with a _fishwife_. Or any wife. It's… nice… that you don't want me to take risks, but I've been taking them since I was ten. I'll be fine."

"I did not say I do not want you to take risks; I said I would not let you take them alone." Korlys reached over and pulled out some dried fruit from his pack. "We should eat, then split up the supplies and get on our way."

"Yeah, let's eat. Seems when we eat and sleep are the only times we don't argue." Mario smirked. Korlys wasn't that bad, really, he thought, as he split the food into daily rations. Bit strange, but okay.

His pack was quite a bit heavier after the food was split, and the thief felt a pang of guilt when he realized he had made Korlys drag all this on his own - _and _the tent. "I'll take the tent this time," he decided. "You'll be practicing finger work; you'll need to focus," he offered as an explanation. No need to let the guy realize the real reason. He sighed as he pulled on his pack. "Let's go," he grumbled.

oOo

They had been walking for an hour before Korlys remembered that Mario had mentioned he had also had some difficulty last night. The assassin smiled. Maybe it would be something that would make him feel better about what _he_ had done. "You said you had some trouble last night, yes? What happened?"

"Oh, that. It wasn't really trouble… only the apothecary left his pet in the store, and forgot to feed him first."

"His pet? You mean he had a watch dog?"

"I wouldn't call it a _dog_. Dogs are about knee-high, fluffy and friendly. This beast was the size of a calf - similar build, too, now that I think of it - and had a lot of fucking sharp teeth." Mario shuddered at the memory. "And it was hungry."

Korlys laughed. "How did you manage to get away from him, then?"

"It chased me across three streets, stupid mongrel. I couldn't climb up on the roof, because it came huffing at my back before I could close the pack. Almost chomped off my ass, it did. But then a lovely well-rounded lady saved me. Flung a full chamberpot right on the beast's head. Now his master can spend the morning washing it. That will teach him to leave it all alone in the store."

Even if it was not Mario's mistake, it was still funny, and it cheered Korlys up. "Marvelous! A pilfered store _and_ a dirty dog."

"Well, he can only blame himself for the second part," Mario snapped haughtily. "Maker, how I _hate _mabari. They're not good even roasted. Too chewy."

_Too chewy? Is that a joke, or is he serious? _Not being able to tell, the assassin stayed silent.

Mario glanced at Korlys. "What? Ah, I see… never had to eat a dog, did you. What about a cat? A rat? Pigeons?" He shrugged. "It takes time to become good enough at stealing to live off it, you know," he said lightly, though he turned away. "I told you. A few weeks on the streets, and eating _to your fill _is not really a worry. Eating at least a few times a week is a bigger priority. Whatever it is."

Korlys glanced at his companion. "So, how did you become a thief? Were you an orphan, or did you have a family at one time?"

"I still have family… my little brother, Cory," Mario replied fondly. "Our parents are dead; he lives with Mum's cousin now. He's not on the streets, thank the Maker."

"Oh, that is good." It dawned on Korlys that family was not a subject he really wanted to pursue; it might lead to Mario asking _him_ questions. He had just been hoping to steer the conversation away from eating pets, anyway, so he searched for another topic.

"So, what did you mean when you said I would be practicing my fingering?" The only explanation Korlys could think of was a naughty one involving a woman, and he doubted that was what Mario had in mind.

"Fingering? I'm sure I never mentioned _that_." Mario chuckled. "I meant you were going to train to make your hands and fingers faster than the eye. Sleight of hand, it is called. It's what street magicians use for their tricks… and thieves to pick your pockets. Watch."

He showed Korlys his empty hands, then took a coin out of his purse, holding it between the thumb and index finger of his right hand. "See this coin? I'll make it disappear." He covered it with his left hand and closed his eyes as if he were focusing on the trick.

"Gone," he said dramatically, wiping first his right hand, then his left. He showed his empty palms to Korlys, then turned his hands upside down. "Now tell me. Did you see when I put the coin away? And where do you think it is?"

"I do not know. Maybe up your sleeve?"

"Good guess, but no. Watch again; I'll show you how it's done." Mario rubbed his hands, "discovering" the coin again. "I said it was 'gone', and that's what you believed. At that time, it was still there, in my palm under my thumb," he began, demonstrating each move again. "I hid it when I swiped my hands - like this." He pushed the coin between the base of his thumb and bone of his wrist. "You saw how my thumb hid it from view? But it must be exactly this spot, or it would fall when I turned my hands." He grinned. "Silly, isn't it. You'd expect people to notice it there, right? But they don't. Guess why?"

"Because people see what they expect to see?"

"Exactly. It takes practice to hold a coin at that spot. Most people don't have this practice and don't expect the coin there. Of course, you don't let them see it - you make them look at the place they expect it - your fingers and palms. It was the same when I took your daggers. I made you focus on my leg. And because you thought I was hurt, you expected me to lean on you, and wrap my arm around you, so it was easy to hide my movements," he explained. "Of course, you need both things - distraction _and _skill. If you're slow and clumsy, no amount of distraction will help you. We'll work on the skill first. That means exercises to make your hands and fingers strong, fast and flexible."

Korlys quirked an eyebrow, then unsheathed one of his daggers, twirled it on his fingers, and deftly resheathed it, all while keeping his eyes on Mario. "I think I am already strong and fast. And I am _definitely_ flexible," he purred, waggling his eyebrows.

_Fuck, he's awesome_. Not that he would ever say it aloud. "Good enough," he said nonchalantly. No need to make the assassin even more smug. "So you think you're ready to try to steal my purse?" He pointed to his belt. "Let's say I'm a clueless peasant who came to town for a fair, and never heard of thieves before, and you're a thief-in-training. Meaning, I'll have my guard down. But I'm not totally dumb. If you're slow about it, I'll notice it and catch you."

"So, if I were a thief-in-training, this would be my first lesson, yes? And will you truly act like a clueless peasant?" Korlys asked with an amused grin.

"Yeah. It's how the training usually starts, by pretending it's a game. Though you're a bit overgrown for a thief-in-training. They're usually this tall," he said, putting his hand waist high. "I'll try to be as clueless as I can," he promised, chuckling.

Korlys grinned. "_Va bene_, let us walk along again, like we were doing, and at some point I will try to take your purse."

They continued their trek through the forest. The day was still cool, and the sunlight filtered through the trees to leave broad patches of shade. They could hear the river as it ran not far away. _What can I do? Maybe a distraction? It would not work on Mario, but he said he would act clueless. _But _what _distraction?

The ex-Crow slowed slightly so that he was walking a little behind Mario, humming to himself. As soon as he found a dip in the ground, he stumbled against the other elf, grabbing on to him to keep from falling.

"_Mi dispiace. _That was so clumsy of me." He started brushing Mario off, sliding a hand alongside Mario's belt as he did so. "Are you fine?"

"Yo're mighty kind, ser, but thar's no need fo' thet, I'm okay," Mario said in the thick accent of Bannorn peasants. He couldn't help grinning. A bit too obvious, and a bit too slow, but not bad for the first time, not bad at all. "Nice try," he said with a nod. "The moment of surprise was good, but you need to untie the purse before the target realizes what's happening and starts shouting for the guards. You need to practice untying it with one hand, as fast as possible."

Korlys laughed at Mario's fake accent. "_Sí._ Should I practice untying your purse as we walk along?"

"Yes. I won't try to stop you in any way, but I want you to focus on how you're doing it, and to count every time how long it takes you. And try to think about what you learned about pickpocketing to keep thieves away from your coin. Okay?" Mario took his purse back and tied it back to his belt, grinning at the look on the assassin's face. He was nothing if not determined and persistent.

By the afternoon, there was already some progress. Nothing dramatic, but if Korlys continued like this for a few days, he could be ready for a test in a village, if they came across one. Not a pickpocketing test yet, perhaps, but he should be able to steal a few things at the market. _By the time we reach Gwaren, I'll turn him into a decent enough thief to survive. _Engrossed in plans of exercises and tests he should give Korlys, he barely paid attention to where they were going, following the assassin's lead.

oOo

By the time they decided to stop, they were both starving and almost falling asleep on their feet. Mario dropped his backpack with a happy sigh and stretched his back. For the last hour, all he could think about was dinner. A feast, really, with plenty of food and wine - the best one in weeks. He smirked at the image of the assassin opening all the different brands to taste them. How the other Lizards would laugh at that! If only they had a pack of cards, they could enjoy themselves like banns. They even had a tent, and could have a comfortable, and hopefully _long _sleep.

They found a good place to pitch their tent, not too far from the river, but hidden from view by trees. The elves had just started clearing the ground, moving away the brush, rocks and twigs, when they smelled smoke. Someone was camping nearby.

The ex-Crow quietly unsheathed his daggers. He turned to Mario. "Stay here while I go check it out."

"No fucking way," the thief snapped. Who could say someone wasn't nearby? What if they showed up while Korlys was gone? They'd slaughter him like a lamb. Or worse. No, no. He would not move away from the assassin. "I'm not gonna let you take all the risks alone," he said, forcing an arrogant grin.

"Mario, you do not even have any armour. If they are Crows, you will die," he said firmly. "I am only going to scout ahead and find out who they are and how many there are, then I will return to you, yes? Just stay here for now."

That was also true… Mario bit his lip. "If they're Crows, I'll die anyway. But okay. I'll stay here. If you're not back in ten minutes, I'm coming after you. Understand?"

Korlys grinned. "_S__í__, _Mario," he said, guessing the reason his companion did not want to be left behind. He slipped into the shadows and made his way towards the source of the smell as silently as a cat on the prowl.

* * *

_Thanks, as always, go to Oleander's One and Bloodsong 13T, for their guidance, encouragement, and support. This story is so much better because of you two lovely ladies!_

_And thanks to Clafount, VirusXYZ, and Lucka for your wonderful reviews - seeing others enjoy our story is such a thrill. :)_


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